Immortalized
by Rainsong87
Summary: It's been 8 months since the guardians defeated Pitch, and all seems peaceful. However when a girl drowns in Jack's lake, Pitch takes an interest in the new spirit- either she joins him, or dies. I've made an OC. Enjoy! CHAPTER 13 UP (AT LAST!)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer! I don't own rise of the guardians or any of the characters( i do own my OC's though! **

**Chapter One- Presume**

Rianna_ Westwood_

_Beloved sister and daughter_

_1996-2013_

The inscription hit him like a ton of bricks. _Not Again! _Why must everything he do result in death? Winter. Cold, striking down many a lives, and the one time he could have used his powers to stop death... he wasn't there. Jack had been riding the wild winds in the north pole, causing mayhem for the yetis. Such fun, such joy!- His absence had cost one poor girl her life.

He was so full of mirth that sometimes he never noticed the chaos he could cause- but this wasn't his fault... was it?

Jack sprung to his feet, unwilling to remain still any longer. He ran his fingers through his white hair and did his best to contain the tears that sprung to his eyes. He paced back and forth and muttered curses to the wind, to the moon, but most of all, to himself. He was the guardian of fun and he had failed. Failed his duty of protecting the children.

And this was his lake. The very lake that he himself had drowned in, and then been reborn as the spirit of winter. He had vowed that no one would ever drown here again but here he was, mourning a girl who had. Failed.

Jack threw his head back to the sky and roared, a roar of sorrow and loathing. The snow fell thick and heavy, blanketing the impromptu gravestone in white. Jack couldn't contain the emotions inside of him, so he let his snow and frost wreak havoc on the scene.

The other guardians would be worried about him now, and he supposed that he was grateful. All the time he had been alone he never thought people would know or care about him enough to ever be concerned. He had a family now, a wonderful family, and believers. Believers he thought. That sprung up a new worry. He had never caused a snowstorm in Burgess without warning Jaime first. Jack frowned, his first believer may be worried. Jack thought of comforting him, but decided that in the mood he was in, it wouldn't help. Not one bit.

After standing still for what seemed like forever, Jack stiffly moved over to the now obscured stone. He rubbed the snow off, and read the inscription once more.

"I'm sorry Rianna..." His voice choked and he turned away. "But I don't have flowers for your grave..." he looked up at the sky, and the man in the moon was smiling at him. The wind whispered in his ear, and with a sudden flash of inspiration Jack flung himself to the ground and began working with a chunk of ice. When he was finished, he left his creation on Rianna's grave. A perfect rose, immortalized in ice.

"Kangeroo is going to have my head for this..."

So preoccupied was Jack, that he didn't notice the dark tendrils twisting round his ankles.

A voice spoke that he never wanted to hear again.

"Hello Jack."

...

Four of the five guardians were sitting in North living room, the unofficial guardian headquarters. North was impatiently tapping his foot against the floor.

"Oh come on Jack!" He exploded. "I sent message an hour ago. Why isn't he here?"

Bunny, as usual, was quick to reply with a snarky comment. "Well you know Frosty goes where the wind goes, and the wind can never be relied on." he huffed, removing some dirt from one of his boomerangs. "Besides he's always late." Sandy formed some images above his head, gesturing frantically. North watched with a frown.

"Sandy is right. He's never been this late before."

"Well there's always a first time isn't there. He had never ruined Easter before '68!" The pooka's words were harsh, but his face was mildly concerned, almost worried. There was an awkward silence. Tooth chose that moment to speak.

"But you know that if Pitch ever returned that he would go after Jack first. And he'd want him alone." She shivered involuntarily. "He'd go after each of us separately, and exploit our fears. Then get rid of us."

The Sandman gently tapped North on the knee, pointing to the window. Moonlight was bathing the door to the globe room.

"Man in Moon is going to tell us anyway!" They all entered the globe room, and were surprised to find the crystal already arisen and reflecting the moonlight into an image. "A new guardian! But so quickly... We only just got one!" exclaimed Tooth. North pushed his way forward and peered into the crystal.

"I don't recognise her!"

"But what about Jack?" Bunny asked, surprising them all with his troubled question. He even surprised himself. But as the crystal sunk back into the ground, the moon projected a profile on the floor.

"Pitch." North said solemnly.

"Blimey, why can't that fella just stay dead?"

"I do hope Jack's all right. Do you think he has him? Is he in danger? We must warn him!" Tooths voice became shrill as a few vibrant feathers fell from her plumage, fluttering to the ground.

"We must help him." North decided. The others nodded. It was final.

"There's just one problem mate. Where is he exactly?"

...

Jack whirled round to face the nightmare king. The temperature dropped dramatically as the air crackled with hostility. Jack's blue eyes glared into Pitch's amber ones and he raised his staff threateningly. Pitch's eyes gleamed with greed as he saw the end of Jack's staff glow bright blue. The full potential of the boy was still not discovered, he was sure. If he could convince the boy to join him, not even the pathetic guardians would be be able to stop them.

"I meant what I said Jack. You and I are very similar, I could use a good ally like you. The Guardians will never accept you." He cocked his head to the side, and continued in a patronizing tone.

"Surely you have realized that now? Just think of it. Cold and dark ruling together."

Jack snorted. " The guardians are my family. My answer is still no. Besides, I have believers now.I don't need your _help_ to be seen."

"Yes." Pitch sneered. "Believers that can easily be removed, one way or the other. And I know just how _fond_ you are of one _particular_ boy..." He drew out the word 'particular' like sickly sweet gum, lacing it with sugar and danger.

If possible, Jack's glare held more venom at the not so subtle threat on Jaime's life. Jack's grip on his staff tightened but he manged to keep calm. Pitch watched as the boy controlled his fury, and was impressed. It only made him more desperate to have him on his side... Or have him dead.

"My answer is still no."

"Very well." Pitch's response surprised Jack, at the very least he had been expecting an insult, or a comment designed to undermine his belief in the guardians or _something_. But instead Pitch just stood there, waiting by a tree. Cautiously Jack moved forward.

"I've said no, so go away and leave me alone." Pitch sighed and studied his hands and pretended to muse to himself. Jack grew angrier as the Nightmare King continued to rile him.

"Poor Jack, having such a small mind to presume _everything_ is about himself." Jack drew himself higher as the air grew colder still. Pitch grew bored of the lack of fear, but he looked upon Jack with a calculating glint in his eye.

"Though I will need you out of the way." He straightened, and began to menacingly advance on Jack, who stood his ground.

"This is my lake. The only thing that you could possibly want here is me, and you don't, so clear off." Pitch continued to sidle up to Jack.

"It was just _your_ lake, until you were careless enough to allow someone else to drown in it." He fluttered his hand dismissively. He saw the guilt in Jack's eyes and knew he had hurt him. He reveled in hurting the boy- but still he was not afraid.

"Fearlings," he called to the surrounding woods, "Take him."

Jack's eyes widened with alarm as a huge mass of fearlings charged towards him. Sure he'd defeated this amount before after Sandy was thought dead, but he still hadn't worked out how. He whirled his staff around both dissolving the fearlings and freezing them. He felt the adrenaline pound through him, and was thankful that he chose to rest himself only one day before. But look! The number of fearlings was going down- he was going to get through them! But then what? Return to the guardians to warn them, or stay and protect the spirit that Pitch thought was going to be born?

Something hit his head- heavy and black, and he felt himself go woozy. His vision blurred and he stumbled round. The frost child fell to his knees and the last thing he saw was Pitch, staring down at him triumphantly. He'd regained his form, and was well on the way to becoming as strong as he was before.

_Oh no..._

_...  
_

**Please review! I love compliments (only if deserved of course) and I like constructive criticism too! This is my first fanfic, so I would love to improve my writing style. **_  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two- Arisen**

If she had known that it was going to be so bright, she would have kept her eyes closed. Firmly closed. But in the cold blue depths, her startling blue eyes had opened and now that she had the magnificent light pooling out above her, she was unable to look away. She was resting at the bottom of the mass of water- a lake perhaps? Not a stream or the ocean because there were no currents pulling her this way that way. She hated currents, always trying to decide for you what direction you would like to travel. She didn't need or want to be told what to do by anyone. Which brought her to another question. Who was she?

Even though she had no idea who or indeed what she was, the question seemed trivial and irrelevant as she stared at the entrancing moon. She was sure it was the moon, the circular disc radiating light and warmth. Sending glints of almost iridescent colors over the ice above her. Ice? Was that what the sheet of glass was, that seemed so very far away? A lifetime away she decided. That unsettled her.

The moon momentarily forgotten, she wondered if she was supposed to be underwater. Underwater... yes, that was where she was! Feeling giddy with the new information, she propped her self up on the bedrock and examined herself. She gasped. How white was her hair! So... snowy white but gleaming subtly- like pearls. She giggled underwater, a bubble of air escaping upward. She panicked for a second before remembering that she had been underwater for a while now, and seemed to be immune to the lack of oxygen. She twirled a strand, reveling in the sight of her long wavy hair, billowing out in the water twisting and moving in patterns, moved by invisible hands.

She was wearing tan pants and a short sleeved blouse made of a thick deep blue material. It had a v-neck and was laced down for about 4cm. She noticed a lighter blue shawl made of a thin smooth material. She caressed the material, and draped it over her shoulders.

The Moon beamed down at her and beckoned her upward towards the ice. She slowly rose, allowing the water to push her upward just this once. The ice grew closer and closer, but instead of crashing into it, she broke through it as easily as if it were just water. The ice _liked_ her. But even out of the water, away from the ice and exposed to the harsh winds of the woodlands she continued to rise. She felt alive.

She felt so alive, and so new! The beautiful white purity which surrounded her took her breath away. She gasped as streaks of brown shot down her white hair turning it a mahogany brown. And her eyes, so cold before deepened in color to an ocean blue. She gulped breath down because it tasted and smelt so _good_, and her senses were only invigorated by the cold air.

Then the wind dropped her,and she plummeted a short distance, landing awkwardly on the ice.

"Ow!" She shouted indignantly, the moment ruined. The wind sniggered.

"_That _was uncalled for!" She brandished her fists at the air around her.

_Calm yourself Adrianne, sweet spirit._

"Sorry Moon. Sorry Wind." She held her hands up in surrender. The wind brushed against her gently. She was forgiven.

"Moon... who am I?" The moon continued to beam down at her, silent."Fine don't answer" she huffed.

...

Jack watched from nearby, trussed to a tree and silenced by Pitch. He felt a familiar ache as he remembered his own awakening. She was so full of joy, just as he had been. When she first arose with white hair and blue eyes just as his, he dared to hope- maybe there would be another winter spirit like him. Sure the guardians were family, but they could never completely understand his need to never sit still, or to ride the wind wherever it may take him. He smiled softly as the wind unceremoniously dumped her on the surface of the lake. The wind was still playing favorites. But when the wind playfully ruffled her brown hair as her eyes filled with laughter and mischief as it had done many times to him... he wasn't sure. Would he have to share the wind?

But when the... girl, there was no other way to describe her, pleaded with the uncooperative moon, he felt his cold heart go out to her. She was just like him. No, he corrected, she was just like how he used to be. He thought about his his bitterness, his loneliness... he could protect her from that, and in doing so, cure the loneliness in himself.

That's if Pitch didn't get his claws into her first.

She masked her irritation and sadness towards the moon with indifference. Pitch had made clear to him, that if the girl made no impression on him, he would leave and not bother her again. So Jack hoped for her sake she would wait until tomorrow to begin experimentation.

Well they do say that curiosity killed the cat.

"I'm wearing hardly anything,"The girl spoke aloud to her self, or else to a nearby tree."and there is snow everywhere, and I'm standing on this ice with no shoes... but I'm not cold. I'm a winter spirit!" She laughed delightedly.

"Like Jack Frost!" Jack shook his head- how right she was.

"So can I... create ice?" She pointed her hands at the ground and screwed her face up in concentration. Nothing happened.

"Do I need a stick or something?" She looked around bewildered, into she caught sight of something on the ice. She whooped triumphantly as she scooped the object up, and while doing do manged to freeze her foot to the lake. She frowned before laughing.

"Well not exactly as planned but still. I can create ice!" She fastened the object round her neck, it was a pendant of some sort.

"Can you melt now please?" She hesitantly tapped the ice block encasing her foot, and groaned as the ice only thickened. She crossed her arms and began to sulk. Jack bit back a smirk as he watched her brood. her eyes lit up as she had an idea.

"Melt." Her eyes flashed gold for a fraction of a second, and her index finger set alight. She yelped and tried to jump backwards, forgetting about her foot. She cracked her head on the ice, and let slip a curse. Jack was stunned. She was obviously a spirit of winter so fire- that should have been beyond her. Fire was her opposite, yet she still created it.

"Okay." Her voice was shaky as she stared at her finger, now extinguished.

Only Jack saw Pitch's smile widen with glee.

...

"My fingers set on fire if I ask them to. That's new." She looked at her finger, and it set alight again. She grinned and put it next to her trapped foot. The ice began to slowly melt. Adrianne blew outwards and tapped her other fingers together, and they set alight too. She laughed at the warm tingly feeling which fizzed at her fingertips. When she was free, she froze an ice block, then melted it, then froze it, then melted it.

She sneezed, a tiny little thing, but it sent jets of fire straight towards the trees, which promptly began to flame. Adrianne gasped in horror- the flames which she had mistaken for playful were actually hungry beasts as they devoured the beautiful trees. Suddenly the heat was unbearable and sickly, and all she wanted to do was to cool down.

"Out out out!" She frantically scrambled over, and unwittingly released a jet of ice, which froze the flames. the frozen flames looked so beautiful and delicate, but she backed away. Adrianne looked at her hands uncertainly, before clenching them together before she could cause more harm.

_What is happening to me?_

She wandered listlessly through the forest, but never strayed far from the lake.

THUMP

Adrianne jumped and rose her hands to defend her self. When nobody rushed out to assault her, she moved towards the noise. One of the trees, she noted, was a funny shape. Somebody was standing by it. No, not standing, she realized as she drew nearer still, tied to the tree. Gagged and bound like a prisoner.

He was a boy she realized, the same age as herself. He was pale and thin, and looked like a stiff wind could get the better of him. Anger rose within her, and she was filled with repulsion. What could he have done to deserve this? His white hair almost hid his eyes, which were pleading and guarded at the same time. His face was littered with minor cuts and scratches. Her heart filled with pity.

She reached to remove the gag from his mouth. Words poured out of his mouth in a tumble, and not the words she expected to hear.

"Run. You have to run now, do you hear me?" His eyes flicked between hers and a shadow in the distance. Adrianne shook her head.

"I'm not going anywhere."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three- Decision**

Jack continued to warn her away, his frantic words and movements making it difficult for Adrianne to untie him.

"You don't understand, Pitch is after you, not me..."

"Then why did he tie you up?" Adrianne asked skeptically, raising one slender eyebrow. Jack flailed, it was important, _imperative _that she understood and went, as quickly as possible. He struggled to answer.

"Because I get in the way." He ducked his head sheepishly, peering up though his lashes, adding the silent _it's what I'm good at_.

"Exactly!" She said in a no-nonsense voice, continuing to struggle with the knots. "And here you are, convincing me to run off, getting in his way once more,if he's after me that is. If I leave, this... Pitch will use you as a human punch bag." Her eyes met Jack's, and Jack could have sworn they were the exact color of the ocean, on a beautiful cloudless day. She clasped his hand and squeezed it.

"I won't let that happen. Not to anybody." she smiled softly. "Who are you anyway?"

"Jack Frost." He replied crookedly.

"Okay." Adrianne replied, not looking up at she scrabbled at the rope. Jack was stunned.

"You believe me?"

"Sure. I trust you. I don't know why." She was didn't know why, but was certain that she did. Like fate.

"Plus there's no other way you could be this pale and this awake at the same time, no human would be. And I'm willing to bet you're freezing." He grinned halfheartedly at her observations.

She cursed in exasperation no matter how hard she tried to loosen the knots in one area, they would tighten in another. "You're the greatest spirit of winter- any tips on how to get you untied? These ties aren't giving."

Jack shrugged and then immediately regretted it as pain lanced across his side.

"You could always make an ice dagger." Adrianne closed her eyes, rubbed her hands together and sure enough an ice dagger was formed. Jack stared at her worriedly then scanned the trees for a glimpse of black or amber. _If Pitch saw that... _but the nightmare king was nowhere to be seen. Which may or may not have been a good thing.

Adrianne began sawing through the ropes. When he was finally free he collapsed in the snow.

"Can you walk?"She hissed in his ear. Jack grimaced and hobbled forward a few steps before collapsing again. The rope had cut off the circulation to his feet.

"A little." Adrianne sighed before grasping his arm and hoisting him up. "I'll help."

He shook his head. His eyes were flitting backward-forward-backward-forward. Looking towards the trees. He was frightened, Adrianne realised, though he was doing well to hide it.

"I need my staff."

"You need a staff?" He nodded. "Any staff?" He shook his head. Adrianne looked around, even setting her fingers on fire to provide her with some extra light. But she could see no staff.

"Jack I can't find it." He groaned in response.

"Pitch will have it, and I need it."

"Right now our priority is getting you away from here." Jack laughed weakly at that.

"What?" Adrianne huffed, more than a little put out, and worried he may have gone delirious.

"I was supposed to say that to you."

"You already did, in less words." She reminded him. "And I said no." And despite everything, he smiled. Adrianne noticed but chose not to comment.

They stumbled forward a few meters.

"We need to get to a clearing. Use the wind to take off." Jack was feeling slow, and vulnerable without his staff. He hated the feeling of helplessness and placing his safety in the hands of the girl he was supposed to protect.

"Hey! Stay with me- I can't ride the wind!" Jack hadn't realised his mind had wandered.

"The wind likes you, and it's coming. But it's a bit busy at the moment." He mumbled, looking around suspiciously. Adrianne created an ice block, and rested him on it. "Wind wind wind wind come _on_!" She felt drained, she had used too much energy for the first day of her existence. Then suddenly she felt that something was very wrong. The sky darkened and she felt shivers run down her spine. Something was definitely wrong. Slowly, she rose and turned to face the man she knew must be Pitch, and he had come to take her or Jack or maybe both.

Somehow the sight of him made her realise _why_ Jack was so afraid. He was tall, and dark and imposing, and was doing the opposite of glowing, sucking the light out of the area around him. Beside her Jack let out a low gasp. Adrianne, unwilling to show her fear instead tipped her head to the side as if considering him. Pitch smiled wider at that. She could certainly see why he was called Pitch Black. He was tall and lithe, and draped in black, His skin was a washed out grey, his hair a sooty black, and his eyes a gold or amber, leaping out from the gloom. His presence was so dark and evil and chilling.

But then something she noticed made her lips quirk upward into a smile.

"Jack..." She began slowly, her smile growing more pronounced. "He has no eyebrows!" She muttered lowly. Jack just stared at her disbelieving as if to say _is this really the time?_

And she supposed, as Pitch stepped forward another step, that no, it had not been the right time, but it _was_ funny. She and Pitch stood staring at each other, each daring the other to speak. Jack made to stand, but she placed a hand on his shoulder telling him to stay seated.

...

If anything Jack felt a little excluded. It was sad to think that his life had been so chaotic recently, and so many people (namely Pitch) kept going after him for his blood, that whenever be wasn't being beaten up, or fighting or planning the next move he felt... Misplaced. And that was exactly as he felt now, as the spirit girl and Pitch had their little staring match. He was certain now that Pitch had seen her earlier power demonstrations, because he didn't look at her like a person, or even an animal. He looked at her like a tool. _That's how he looks at me sometimes_, Jack realised.

But then he was being ignored, something he had a lot of experience in. Maybe that's why it was so strange because he wasn't used to being ignored anymore.

He had no fear of Adrianne being tempted by Pitch, she was too defiant and downright stubborn to do as she was told. But if it turned to a fight... Pitch had his staff, and though the graceful spirit beside him was undoubtedly powerful, she was also unpredictable. He watched as the girl became visibly bored as she waited for Pitch to speak. She narrowed her eyes, but didn't give in.

"Well." Adrianne lifted her chin triumphantly.

"Pitch." Her voice was eerily calm, and her demeanor was casual, giving nothing away.

"You know why name, but I don't know yours." She stepped forward, as a challenge.

"I share my name with who I wish to," A ghost of a smile flew across her face before being chased away by a frown. "and I hate to break it to you Pitch, but you don't qualify. And right now I have more important things to do than conversing." _So go away_.

Pitch pulled a mock sympathetic look, but Jack could see the calculating glint, trying to work out how to twist the conversation for his benefit.

"I'm trying to help you! That boy is nothing but trouble, he pretends to be your friend just so he gets something." The nightmare king shook his head despairingly. "I would know."

To there surprise, Adrianne laughed. Her figure shook as peals of mirth exploded out of her. while still laughing she stepped back to Jack.

"I know you know, for you have plenty of experience." She shrugged. "As for Jack, I know he's trouble. It makes life so much more exciting." As suddenly as a flipped switch, she straightened out a glared at him coldly.

"This is our home, and _you _are not welcome here."

"So you're house sharing now- I feel left out!" Pitch jeered, but it would get him nowhere.

"I was born here too. He didn't have a choice." _And died here_ Jack continued silently, wracked with guilt once more. Pitch saw his grimace, and decided to throw his one last trump card in manipulating the girl.

"You do know that Jack is the reason that you are here? The reason you died?" Adrianne turned to Jack curiously, and Jack wondered if she remembered dying.

"I must have drowned in the pond." She said slowly. "Yes?" Jack nodded, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "You were skating, and the ice wasn't thick enough." He hung his head in shame. She tilted her head, assessing his reactions.

"You too?" Jack nodded. Pitch watched the scene with interest. The girl was not as angry as she could have been, just oddly understanding.

"I do not hold Jack responsible for my death. Even Jack Frost cannot save every child from winter."

"You might as well give up Pitch. She's not going with you." Jack proclaimed. "And neither am I."

With that statement Pitch turned into a writhing monster of fury, dripping with deathly cold anger.

"Then you give me no choice."

**Hope you like it so far. I know Its a little slow at the moment, but it should speed up later (hopefully).**

**If you don't like it... Tell me why so I can improve!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four- Saviours**

Shadows pooled around them, lapping at their feet. The shadows rocked from side to side in anticipation. Exited murmurings broke out amongst them, misleadingly melodic and calming, peaking and waning, raising in volume as the sounds crashed together. The shimmering horses of sand like substance snorted with their blind, all seeing eyes. The masses almost converged on them, before halting at the command of their leader, a very smug looking Pitch, riding the largest and most menacing steed. Illusive and dark, he merged with the shadows that surrounded him, his nature blackening still.

The moment became so still, that one sound would shatter it. Jack had struggled to his feet, clenching his fist at the loss of his staff, which Pitch was holding as a symbol of victory, as a prize. Adrianne peered over at Jack, who was staring at his belonging with a fierce raw desperation and longing in his eyes. _He wouldn't... would he?_

"I'll tell you what. I'll trade Jack's staff for the girl." His very voice was enough to send her over the edge, but the comment caused her to see red, and her eyes ignited. She growled in indignation and a ring of fire shot up rapidly around her and Jack, before dropping slightly as her eyes dimmed. The nightmare king would use her, she knew, as his eyes began to turn mad. The ghost of insanity, creeping up inside him.

"No deal." Her and Jack spoke in unison, both horrified by the request. Pitch dropped his head slightly, and continued in his unnerving calm way.

"Very well. But I am a patient man, and I can wait an eternity for something that belongs to _me_." Shivers cascaded down her spine. "But for now, I'll give you two minutes." He turned away and barked some commands to his 'troops'.

"Does he mean it?" Adrianne muttered to Jack, who frowned and cast a fleeting look around.

"No way to tell." His shoulder drooped. "You might as well leave me. I'm useless without my staff." He said dejectedly, and closed his eyes wearily.

Adrianne looked at him squinting. "You need your staff for your powers to work?"

He ran a pale hand through his pale hair. "It's a conduit. The power is inside me."

"So like a magnifier?" Jack looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Yeah I guess." He answered after some thought.

Adrianne had only met two people in her memory. The first was this boy, who was brave and loyal. The other was Pitch, who was a madman.

"I won't leave you to _him_." An idea occurred to her, and her face lit up. "Use me as a conduit."

Jack blinked. Had he heard her properly? "You?"

"Yeah! All you would have to do is hold my hand. We can fight back to back."

Jack nodded slowly considering her words. "It might work. Better than nothing I guess."

Adrianne smiled. Then she jerked her head towards the shadows. "What are they?" Jack shuddered. "Nightmares and fearlings." He stared at the ground for a while, trying to work the question in his head so that it didn't sound strange.

"You know... we might not come out of this in one piece and... I would like to know your name before this... happens." He finished lamely. Adrianne watched as he shuffled his feet, and blushed a faint purple. This was serious, she realised, if he was asking for her name, as if he was... as if he was never going to see her again. _Oh God_.

Her response was almost pained. "My name is Adrianne."

"Okay." He nodded frantically. "Adrianne."

"Your time is up." Pitch called expectantly.

Adrianne held her hand out to Jack, which he encased within his own. His hand was so cold, but not clammy, smooth and inviting. She relished the temperature. In a short moment of inspiration, she formed a staff made of ice, not unlike Jack's conduit. She passed it to him, and gave him a look to say _it's better than nothing_, before fashioning one for herself- they could be useful. She inspected herself. She was wearing trousers and a top, both loose, but not loose enough that they could catch on anything. Her hair, she noticed, was problematic. She pushed the thought away, nothing she could do now.

"Take them. Oh and alive." Pitch went back to studying Jack's staff.

They were at a disadvantage. She would need to twist away and he would be torn into to the path of a nightmare, if he needed to jump, she would be dragged up with him. All that kept them together was their hands. The nightmares were attacking the link between them, so they kept the fight on the ground, so they couldn't target the weak spot from below as well. They were hopelessly outnumbered.

And yet they were winning. As impossible as it seemed, they were winning.

Jack's newly made staff was working, while Adrianne was sending jets of ice both through the staff and her hand. Some strange part of her was _enjoying _it, the blood pounding in her ears, the endless surge of assailants filling her senses, the sound, the sight, the smell. Her and Jack were well matched, she realised, gracefully leaping around each other as they picked off nightmare after nightmare. Fearling after fearling.

She spotted a figure taller than the others. Advancing towards them.

"Pitch!" She yelled over the din, snarling as the mere sound caused her to lose focus and have to lunge to the side. The movement brought Jack to the floor, and a nightmare jumped on top of him which she quickly iced. Back to the nightmares. She swung her staff into a nightmare, was jerked round by Jack, froze another and another, stabbed one, sent one back with a gust of wind, then froze the crowd behind it. She blew a gust of fire into the next horde and brought her staff round to face those remaining. All the while keeping an eye out for Pitch. A shadow reared on its hind legs, pushing her back, and to the side causing her to drop her staff. She braced herself on Jack's back and swung her legs round to pass through the dark horse reducing it to dust, scooped up her staff and carried on.

A steak of red flew across the sky. A merry sound greeted her ears, the sound of bells, many bells all jingling happily along.

"NORTH! NORTH WE'RE DOWN HERE!" Jack bellowed behind her, his strength sapping. But his words that meant-was-could it-no!

Santa's sleigh landed right in front of her. A large stocky man dressed in Russian furs beckoned towards them his arms covered in _were they tattoos?_

"Get in!" Adrianne burst into the air, dragging Jack with her. Jack took the lead, feeding on her energy. They landed haphazardly in the sleigh, which began moving into the air and then they were going, leaving Pitch and his fury behind.

...

North immediately threw a thick woollen blanket at Adrianne, who was slouched, thoroughly exhausted. Jack knew the feeling, his muscles burnt, and his head was throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep. But he _needed _his staff. Adrianne looked uncomfortable under the heat of the blanket, so Jack reached over and took it from her, fearing her politeness would cause her to keep silent. He earnt a grateful look from Adrianne, and a questioning look from the others. Within seconds she was asleep, appearing so much younger than the warrior he had seen earlier.

"She's like me." He explained.

"Are ya sure frosty? She doesn't look a lot like you-" Bunny began.

"But she is." He held up his staff. "Adrianne made this." They questioned him to longer.

The Sandman created pictures above his head. _What happened to yours?_

"Pitch has it. He attacked me earlier today, he said he wanted to check her out, and she didn't disappoint." Tooth picked up on one part of the statement.

"We saw you fighting how did you do that without your staff?"

He shrugged, it really wasn't important. "I held her hand, and she acted like a power generator. We both fed off her power, and a little of mine." His eyes drooped. "That's why she's so tired."

After a brief silence, North piped up. "What powers does she possess?"

Jack was suspicious at the offhand tone of the question. "Mine pretty much. And abilities in creating fire. Does being a good judge of character count? Why?"

"She's been chosen mate. To be a guardian." He'd had to wait 300 years, and she got nominated for the job straight away? In what way was that fair?His anger was chased away by guilt and shame- how dare he be mad at the girl for her fortune, when he had condemned her to death?

"She'll be good. She's already saved me." He shrugged, a warm feeling slowly building up in his chest. He liked her, already as a friend and ally.

The sleigh lurched, and dropped. North yelled, cursing in russian and tried to regain control of the reins. Bunny blanched. Tooth gripped the edges, and Jack gripped onto Adrianne and the side, making sure she didn't tumble out as the sleigh tipped sickeningly again. They were flying far too low, the branches of the trees reached out desperately and whipped passed them. Amidst the tumult, Adrianne woke and yelped when she felt a branch slash her face. Then in one last tumble all the passengers of the sleigh tumbled out into the snow.

"What did you do that for? I'm bloody freezing out here mate!" Bunny hopped from one foot to the other, glaring at the Russian.

"Well don't talk to me when I drive!"

"As I recall mate, _you _were the one talking to _us_! Why could we have taken the tunnels like I suggested?"

Jack watched with amusement as the guardians bickered, Adrianne once again curled beneath his arms, asleep.

**Reveiw please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five- Alone**

It had taken forever to sort the sleigh out. Not only was it stuck in a snow drift, but several pesky branches had stubbornly lodged themselves into the ground and around the sleigh. Added to that Jack couldn't ask the wind to help without his staff, and the only person who could was Adrianne. But nobody wanted to wake the sleeping spirit girl.

Bunny couldn't help but be alarmed at the girl's pale and cold skin, even if Jack had reassured them that she was of winter. She curled up as she slept, snuggling further into the snow and bunching it between her fists. Where she laid her hands intricate frost patterns adorned the snow.

Typically it was only _after_ the heavy work was finished that she stirred. Jack was at her side in an instant, having watched over her while she slept. He beamed as she blinked open her eyes and groggily pushed herself up.

"Where am I?" Jack grinned at her sheepishly. "We uh sort of crash landed."

"Yeah, now thanks to North and that bloody sleigh, my paws are frozen."

"Who's Nor- oh no wait- He's Santa isn't he? And you're the..." She struggled, trying to clutch onto a long forgotten memory. "The Easter bunny. Yes!" Bunny gave a small smile in being recognized- in truth he was delighted. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she flitted around, her feet only just skimming the ground. The Pooka gave Jack a cautionary look after spying him watching Adrianne play with the wind with barely concealed sorrow and a pinch of jealosy. "You're the tooth fairy! And you're the sandman." They both grinned at her. "Thank you. You sent me some really nice dreams." Sandy made a little bow in acknowledgement.

...

How he missed the wind! The whispers that brushed his skin, lifted his spirit and spoke into his mind, telling him that he would never be alone, and the wind would always be his friend. The wind was a good friend. It had got Jack out of more fixes than he could remember and was always ready to play. The wind was never busy. The wind never got mad at him, and he never got mad at he wind. It was company when he was alone, and made him laugh when all he wanted to do was cry. He loved the wind. And he felt bereft without it.

The wind and him were very similar. Both roamed where they pleased and could not be held in one place for long. Both had no-one other but each other for company.

Jack jumped as he felt Adrianne's hand slip into his, and they rose into the air, their feet hovering above the ground. He smiled at her thoughtfulness.

As usual Bunny interrupted.

"Hey frostbite?" Jack and Adrianne's heads turned towards the sound. "Yes?" they answered in unison, before sharing a mischievous look. Jack saw Bunny comically baulk as the thought of _two_ tricksters took hold.

"You." He pointed at Adrianne. "Me?" She repeated, pretending to be surprised. She dangled the bait, and Jack leapt for it. "No Ree, I think he wants me." He said in a mock serious tone, frowning with the parody of concern. Adrianne raised her eyebrows slightly at the impromptu nickname.

"No, actually mate, I do want her." Bunny interrupted, already exasperated." Jack followed his gaze to Tooth who was behind them, silently sniggering at the pairs antics.

"Oh her!"

"N-"

"Tooth! Bunny wants to ask you something." Tooth smiled weakly and raised her head before dissolving into another fit of silent giggles as Bunny stamped his foot childishly before realizing what he had done, and angered further.

Beside him Jack felt Adrianne relax, and she rolled her eyes.

"What is it Bunny?" Bunny let out a poof of air, relieved that he was talking to the right person.

"Frosty here said that you could set fire to stuff. Could you light a fire, because my feet are bloody freezing?!"

"Sure. But you'll have to gather the branches." She gestured to herself, a movement that also lowered her and Jack to the ground. Jack pouted- he was having fun! All he wanted to do was fly high into the sky, but that would have to wait.

"I'll only freeze them." Bunnymund nodded and set out to find some firewood. When he brought them too her however, she was not able to light them, as she had before.

"I-I don't understand! I was able to do this really well when fighting by the lake, and I knew exactly how to do it."

Bunny walked off, all hopes of warm feet gone until they reached the pole. Adrianne looked at her hands and then at Jack, who shrugged. But try as she might she could not get the flames to form.

...

By the time they had actually reached the pole it was an hour past dawn. It had been calming, Adrianne decided, not alarming when the beautiful colors streaked across the sky. But when they reached Santoff Clausen, she was spell bound. The settlement seem to grow from the snow, the wooden buildings placed precariously on the mountains edge. Merry little streams of smoke trickled out of the multiple chimneys and brushed past them as they began their descent, bringing with them the smell of spices, cinnamon, gingerbread and a lot of cookies. It smelt _wonderful_. The thing that really caught her attention was the huge gleaming gold dome with the spire perched on top.

The sleigh came to a bumpy stop, and no sooner than Adrianne stepped out of the sleigh she collapsed head first into the snow, her body so exhausted that it was unable to support her weight. Allowing Jack to use her as a conduit was tiring, but the adrenaline of the moment allowed her to get through it. But now, after sitting still in the sleigh, there was nothing to stop the nights work from catching up to her.

"She's used too much energy tonight." She heard Jack mutter. She heard the fast bating of Tooth's wings and knew it was her who had scooped Adrianne up. She was vaguely conscious when she felt soft circles being rubbed into her temples. As they moved into a warmer area which was obviously North's home she felt that she should thank him, but couldn't find the energy to open her mouth.

...

Jack had finally finished relating the whole story to them, the girl who had died earlier in the day, Pitch turning up, her 'birth' and the fight. The guardians (minus Tooth, who was with Adrianne) stared at him awestruck.

"She used herself... as a conduit?"Bunny asked hoarsely.

"Yeah." Jack wasn't entirely sure why they were making such a big deal about it. Sandy threw up some images_._

_No wonder she's tired, it should have killed her, doing that for so long.  
_

"What?!" Jack couldn't grasp it- using her as a conduit had worked almost as well as his staff had.

"Spirits with broken or missing conduits have tried it, but never succeeded, or pulled through alive." North explained.

"Wow." And for once, the white haired spirit was speechless. Not for long though. "She wasn't even tired."

"The adrenaline must of helped though mate." Bunny pointed out.

Sandy once again gave his silent input. _Still shouldn't be possible to do it for that long._

"And there's something else." Jack began worriedly. "When she was fighting, she could shoot fire, but later in the woods she could not. Oh and has anyone told her that she's a guardian yet?"

...

"Who are you all Tooth?" Adrianne muttered through the thick haze.

"You know who we are." Adrianne shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"No I mean, who are you together?"

"We're the guardians sweetie." Tooth said, stroking Adrianne's hair as she laid her on the bed of the guest bedroom.

"What do guardians do?" She sat up, suddenly far more attentive.

"We protect the children of the world. You're one of us now." Tooth smiled, resting her hand on Adrianne's shoulder.

"Because I helped Jack?" She inquired, curious. Tooth shook her head, laying her down again.

"You were chosen, by the Man in the moon. All we can do is make it official."

"Oh. It's a bit soon isn't it?" Adrianne was unwittingly straying into dangerous waters.

"I suppose so." Tooth replied hurriedly, a little flustered. Adrianne picked up on the change, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"How old was Jack when he was chosen?" Tooth squirmed uncomfortably as Adrianne rose slowly. She looked menacing, alert and sceptical.

"300 years old." Came the timid reply, barely audible. Adrianne clenched her fists.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She prompted, her voice dripping with danger.

_Thank goodness Pitch didn't get his hands into this one_, Tooth thought as she trembled. Her, a fully fledged guardian trembling in the face of a child. A child who was very dangerous, and very angry. Tooth cleared her throat.

"300 years old."

"And all of you had nothing to do with him until then." The silence told her all she needed to know. "Who did he have?" Adrianne asked, not wanting the answer. Tooth gulped, and decided on the truth.

"Nobody."

Adrianne closed her eyes, and took several deep theraputic breaths. Then, in a scarily calm way, she opened the door and left the room, visibly shaking. Tooth was frozen to the spot (not literally), unable to move.

But Adrianne didn't care about the distress she'd caused the fairy. How dare they leave him alone for 300 years, and then pretended they protected children? It was unthinkable. Adrianne could feel the anger and energy build beneath her skin, and knew she needed to get away before she caused too much damage. But the quickest way out was the large window in the room where the other guardians were conversing...

"Adrianne?" She ignored North and carried on walking towards the window, mantaining a bubble of calm.

"Frostbite?" The australian's voice almost popped her bubble, but she kept going, almost there...

"Ree?"

It popped.

"YOU LEFT HIM ALONE FOR 300 YEARS!" The other guardians were flung back by the power of her yell, the room temperature dropping rapidly. The guardians were shocked, and speechless, staring at her with their mouths open. Except for Jack who just looked at the ground.

"DO YOU HAVE _ANY_ IDEA WHAT LONLINESS DOES TO A PERSON?" Tears were flowing down all the faces in the room now, and the blizzard forming outside was rattling the window panes. Nobody was sure if it was Adrianne, or Jack or both.

Adrianne shook with fury.

"You are immortals, and you protect the children of the world." She closed her eyes breifly, and opened the window. A huge pile of snow blew in, and landed on Bunny's feet. Adrianne didn't care. She continued in a broken voice, laced with sadness. Compared to the roar she had first let out, this was softer, almost a whisper.

"But you didn't protect your own."

And with that, she lept out of the window, letting the wind take her to who knows where.

**Well actually, I know where, but you'll find out later! Thank for the lovely reveiws I've had, and I hope for more! Sorry if the chapters are getting longer and longer...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**I watched Aladdin the pantomime the other day, and I was thinking about what would happen if Jack was Aladdin, and Bunny was the chief of police. I was imagining the moment Bunny sees Jack peeking at the princess, and then all the elves with their pointy hats converge on him, all brandishing squeaky batons... Then Jack could bribe them with cookies! Did anyone else think that the elves were absolutely hilarious in the movie? We _will _play the trumpet!  
**

**Chapter Six- Control  
**

Jack shut the window with a slam.

"Well that went well." The guardians met his eyes guiltily.

"Jack..." he held up his hand, silencing Tooth who had heard the commotion and rushed into the room.

"Save it." He snapped. He was angry, it was true, and they had left him alone for 300 years. But until Adrianne had her outburst, he thought he had put it behind him. Obviously not, he thought, and he looked down to his shaking fists. But he could deal with that later.

"I need my staff. And we need to find Adrianne. She's confused and angry, and Pitch is still looking for her." He strode over to his ice staff, scooped it up, and made towards the window.

"Listen mate." Jack stopped, but didn't turn.

"It's true, we did leave you, and we didn't look out for you like we should have. We are more sorry than we can ever say, mate, but we've got the rest of eternity to make it up to you."

Of all the people Jack hadn't expected the kind words to come from the australian. He knew that Bunny was often exasperated and irritated with him, but even Bunny had a soft spot for him. He face the others, and he saw the truth in their eyes as they nodded so vigorously that their heads would surely fall off. Taking advantage of the distraction, a plate of cookies shuffled out of the room accompanied by the sounds of bells and giggling.

"It's true Jack. We are so sorry." Tooth's face was stained with tears as she smiled weakly at him. Jack offered them a small smile.

"I do believe you, and I have forgiven you. It's just a sore subject for me, that's all." He put one foot on the window ledge, before remembering he couldn't fly, and made towards the front door.

"See you later."

...

It didn't take long to find Adrianne. She was still at the pole, kicking up snowdrifts. He had heard her yelling to the heavens, but she'd stopped now. Instead she was pacing in a tight circle and muttering under her breath. Jack waited until he was a few meters away, and called out.

"Adrianne?" She huffed, and moved in the opposite direction to where he was standing. He decided to try the nickname he'd given her, it had triggered the outburst...

"Ree?" She turned and walked towards him albeit reluctantly.

"You're not leaving are you?" Jack could hear the hope and sadness in his own voice as his breath caught in his throat.

"No." She looked down, looking forlorn. He breathed, reassured. "I just wanted to get out before I damaged anything. I didn't want to lose control." Jack was impressed by her maturity. And he understood. When his powers took over him, when he lost control and was just a device to wreak havoc it felt horrible, because he felt insignificant, and it didn't matter how much he wanted to stop because he _couldn't. _He hated it. He knew how she felt.

"I'm fine Jack. Just leave me alone." She faltered and lost her footing, luckily Jack managed to sweep her up and lay her on the snow. She looked tired. More than that, she looked _exhausted_.

"You're not fine, it's plain to see." She exhaled loudly, and inhaled. Jack jumped as she buried her head in his chest, and wrapped her arms around him. He was stiff at first, but soon relaxed into the embrace.

"I just can't believe they left you alone for 300 years." She whispered. Jack nodded, he understood far better than her. He still had trouble with the void of bitter thoughts that still swirled around his mind. And he wasn't ashamed to say that not all those thoughts had been planted by Pitch.

She twisted round to look at him. Jack immediately became worried at her frost covered lips, before remembering that she was of winter- it wouldn't bother her.

"How old were you when you died?" Jack was slightly startled, but racked his brains for the answer none the less.

"Um... 16 or 17... I think 17." Adrianne nodded.

"So you're a minor. Even as an immortal, it was their duty to protect you, and they failed. And they have the nerve to ask me if I want to be a guardian." She shook her head, and laughed without humour.

"Well when you're a guardian, you can make sure it never happens again." Adrianne pushed away from him, incensed. Jack missed the cold that she brought.

"You're siding with them?" Jack leapt up and held his hands up in a placating gesture. She had taken his remark the wrong way.

"No! But I've forgiven them so... even if you can't can you just put up with them? They're not that bad."

"No."

"Til we get my staff back?" Jack saw hesitation and uncertainty flit across her face before it set again in stony denial.

"No."

"Not even for me?" Adrianne gave Jack a pained expression, before jerking her head in a curt nod. He hadn't even had to say the magic word.

"Fine. But I'm _not_ becoming a guardian."  
Jack knew the attitude she was giving him, he had been the same when they asked him. He couldn't rush her, she had to decide on her own. He'd give her the time he needed. Guardianship wasn't something that could be forced on you.

He held out his arm, just like a gentleman. Adrianne took his arm, and together they flew into the air. A sudden thought struck his mind, and he was worried suddenly.

"You don't mind the name Ree do you?"  
Adrianne burst into peals of delighted laughter, which left Jack staring awkwardly at the ground below them, wishing he hadn't asked the question.

...

Even though it pained them to admit it, and it was approaching 9 in the morning, everybody agreed there really wasn't much they could do while they were walking zombies. They all needed to recuperate their strength for the inevitable fight that would follow, and there was a limit to how long cocoa and coffee could keep them awake for. So when they woke up about 12 hours later, they were ready to strike back.

Adrianne didn't think it was possible for the elves to be anymore unhelpful than they already were. They ran around, crashing into each other, and everyone else, laughing madly before stealing a cookie and running out before electrocuting each other, as they made 'toys'. They were always 'underboot' as North said.

Ah North. The very thought made her scowl.

Adrianne didn't hate the guardians. She's been around them long enough to realise that they were not bad people, they had just made a huge mistake. So while she didn't hate them, she was wary. For her and for Jack. She was fiercely protective of him, and him of her, and she would not allow him to be abandoned again. Not while she had breath in her body.

"The first thing we need to know, is where is Pitch." North began the meeting once everybody had a cup of hot cocoa. Adrianne took a sip. It was _heavenly_.

"Burgess." Jack said, without skipping a beat. Everybody turned towards him curiously. Adrianne didn't really know anything about Pitch Black, so she couldn't help in this discussion.

"Nah mate, he would have moved from last time." The others nodded, except for Adrianne who was observing Jack carefully. He must have had good reason to be so sure.

"Why?" She watched as Jack straightened his spine,and his eyes almost sparkled with conviction. When no-one replied, he continued.

"Think about it. Both me and Adrianne were born there, so we're likely to wander around there. If he's close, then there's more chance he could catch us unawares. Plus, he wants us to bring the fight to him, so he can fight in an area that he's familiar with. What better place to fight us than in shadows he's used to?"

His face clouded over, and his voice was filled with terror. Everyone in the room stiffened at the change.

"And it's close to Jaime. We have to check Jaime's okay, warn him..."

Adrianne interrupted.

"Who's Jaime?"

"His first believer, and friend." North replied. "He lives in Burgess."

"So lets _go_." Jack urged. North reached for a glittering sphere.

"What's that?" She whispered to Jack, as she took his hand and grabbed her staff.

"Portal." Despite everything, he grinned endearingly. "Get ready for a bumpy ride!"

By now North had chucked the snow globe , and it had exploded into a vortex of swirling colors, and both Tooth and Bunny had stepped through, their figures dissolving into light.

"Your turn." North nudged them forward. As they stepped through the portal, Adrianne felt herself fade into nothingness and dizzily spin. Energy pulsed through her, Jack and the surroundings as they surged forward to the destination.

...

As soon as they landed on the white ground outside Jaime's house, Jack rushed forward to the window, dragging Adrianne with him. He could apologize for that later. His touch caused the window to frost over, and he tapped on the glass frantically. It wasn't that late, Jaime should still be awake... His taps turned to thumps, and soon yells as well as he banged the window, fully prepared to break it.

"Uh Jack?" Jack turned to Adrianne expectantly. She grinned, and hooked her finger in a gap between the window and window ledge, and pulled the window upward, allowing Jack entry. Jack smiled sheepishly, thinking about how stupid he was not to even check that the window was already open, then scrambled into the room, followed swiftly by the other guardians. His head darted towards the bed, and he let out a breath he'd been holding for a very long time, when he saw the lump under the duvet. He walked over, and prodded the lump, trying to wake Jaime.

"Thank goodness we weren't too late!" Tooth gushed while Sandy nodded energetically. Jack pulled the covers back and gasped.

It wasn't Jaime. It was a life-size replica, made completely out of black sand, which dissolved, and blew hypnotically in the wind before disappearing out of the window. He heard the low gasps as the others noticed. How dare he take Jaime to get to him? Jaime was a child, and innocent child... and he supposed that's where the entertainment lay for such a black-hearted spirit. Jaime didn't deserve to be in danger because of him. This was Jack's fault, if he had just got there sooner, it wouldn't have happened.

This was a message from Pitch.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm not entirely sure if I liked this or not. Reveiw please!**

**Chapter Seven- Lair**

Jaime didn't think that he'd ever been in a place so dark as Pitch's lair. That thought alone made him grin into the darkness, though the grin was slightly hollower than usual. He had never been in a bad guy's lair before, and admittedly didn't want to be until their was an epic fight. Then again, he thought, the epic fight would almost certainly come later.

The cave was a place that sunlight had never seen, that light had never ventured into. It was cold, very cold, but that didn't bother Jaime- he was best friends with the Spirit of Winter after all! The huge cages that had been dangling down from the ceiling in the other room hadn't bothered him either, because he could easily imagine it to be one great big spooky pet shop. Though technically, that would make _him_ a pet, Jaime mused, as the cage he was trapped in swung slightly. But the dark did bother him, as did the quiet.

Jaime may have only been nine, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that it was no coincident that it was him who Pitch had kidnapped. Since he didn't actually have powers, the only thing he was useful for was to be an item for negotiation. More specifically, negotiation with Jack, his best friend. He knew Jack would come for him, he just _knew_ it. Jack was his best friend, and had promised to keep him safe.

Surprisingly enough, all Jaime had seen of Pitch was when he welcomed him to his lair in a typical bad guy fashion (a disappointing lack of mwa-haa-haa's though), shoved him in a cage and then skulked off. He hadn't even told him his stupid plan, like the bad guys in the movies did. He was probably scared, Jaime decided, of Jack, because he was going to come and teach him a lesson.

Jaime was doing his very best not to be scared, because he knew that Pitch liked people being scared, and he didn't want to make Pitch of all people happy. But he was _little_ bit nervous.

...

Two amber orbs loomed out of the darkness, and Jaime knew that Pitch had arrived. He shifted around for a bit so that he could look at Pitch without his back hurting. Neither spoke.

"Well _boy_. I imagine that you'll have some questions." He sneered at Jaime, his voice coated in disdain. Surprisingly enough, there _was_ a question that he had been wanting the answer to ever since he had first met Pitch.

"Yeah actually... where are your eyebrows?" Jaime asked innocently. Pitch spluttered incoherently for a few seconds before regaining his composure.

"How is that relevant?" Jaime had found something that irked the man, and he couldn't have been happier about it.

"Maybe, having no eyebrows makes you evil. Maybe you should grow some, and then your face won't look so funny-" Jaime's head snapped round to the side as Pitch struck him. He smiled through the pain, and reprimanded him.

"You really shouldn't damage goods you know." He quipped. "I'm a bargaining chip aren't I?" Jaime didn't know what a bargaining chip was exactly, but he'd heard it in a movie, and it fit with the context.

"Yes. But I can assure you _boy_, if they don't take the deal I offer them, I'll be sure to kill you slowly, and painfully."

Jaime gulped.

"Good. Now be a good little prisoner and-" A soft glow began to enter the room. "Why they're here already. Now play nicely."

...

Jack had wasted no time leading the way to the hole underneath the now thoroughly broken bed frame. He, Adrianne and Tooth lead the way down the hole, and Sandy transported Bunny and North down on a dreamsand cloud. When nobody came to meet them, they crept further into the cavern, weapons raised at the ready. It was dark, and grew darker still as they moved away from the sunlight that peered in from the entrance. The only light was the soft glow that Sandy emitted, which was hardly enough to search with. Something about the place had stopped Sandy sending out his dream strands to have a closer look.

Jack caught sight of Adrianne glaring at her once flammable fingers, before she jumped back and let out a muffled squeak as her fingers set on fire, the soft glow illuminating the room, sending long shadows of cages across the wall. Jack put as much distance between himself and her fingers as she could.

Bunny's ears shot up, as he heard some distant noises. He tapped North on the shoulder, and pointed in the direction of the sound, before gesturing to Jack and Adrianne's flammable fingers to lead.

Jack strode purposefully through the dark rooms. The shadows brushed against his mind, and he knew that as the fevered mutterings grew louder, they were getting closer to Pitch. Closer to Jaime. A sharp tug on his arm yanked him backwards. Adrianne nodded to the door in front, and then nodded to North, who nodded to everyone else. This was it.

Adrianne darted in front, and pushed the door open. The room was completely dark. Jack glanced at Adrianne, who gestured for him to stay put, and then rubbed her hands together. Her whole body started to glow, and without warning she expelled five little balls of fire, which bobbed around the walls of the room. She took his hand.

Pitch was standing by a large iron cage suspended from the ceiling. In the cage was Jaime. His brown eyes were wide and full of relief, wonder and admiration. But Jack was distracted by the grey hand that was cruelly gripping Jaime's chin. He was also distracted by the side of Jaime's face which was red. He'd been hit. Hard.

Jack was furious. What possible threat did a boy in a cage pose? None. Pitch had done it for fun.

"We were wondering when you'd arrive." Pitch began, bored. "Weren't we Jaime?" He spoke in a ridiculing tone. Jaime twisted his head and bit his hand. Pitch let out a snarl, and the guardians chuckled at Jaime's spirit. Pitch drew back his hand to hit him again, but before Jack could even raise his staff Pitch's hand was encased in ice. Pitch growled, and gave Adrianne a murderous look.

An amused glint entered her eyes as she gave him a little mock bow.

"You really shouldn't hit children." She scolded. Behind her Tooth nodded. Pitch let out a short burst of laughter. It wasn't a happy sound. He picked up something behind him, and gloated it in front of them.

Jack's staff.

Jack instinctively moved forward, but North grabbed his shoulders before Jack remembered himself.

"Do you want it Jack? Do you want it?" He taunted, watching as Jack's face darkened. The anger rolling off him was delicious.

"Well of course he wants it. What kind of a stupid question is that?" Bunnymund retorted freeing a boomerang.

...

The fear in the atmosphere was disappointing to say the least, the most afraid person was probably Toothiana. But the anger, the fury, the sheer _loathing_ was more than enough to make up for it. The fear could come later. Growing bored of flaunting the flimsy piece of wood, he clenched his fist and freed his hand from the ice. Jack Frost grew closer, aggressive energy bounding off him. The girl, the girl that he _oh so wanted_, was holding his hand, and was only a step behind. While she held his hand, she wasn't afraid for herself. She's a conduit, he realised. How clever.

The frost child raised his staff, fully prepared to ice Pitch where he stood, his eyes unreadable. Before he could though, Pitch lazily drew out a black dagger and held it to Jaime's throat.

Everybody froze.

And there was the fear that Pitch had been longing for, the beautiful, beautiful fear. He could revel in it, drink it up forever, but he had to concentrate on the matters at hand.

"Give me the girl, and I'll give you Jaime and the staff." He paused. "Unharmed. Or give me Jack. I'm not fussy." He added as an oh-so-generous after thought.

"If not...I'll kill him."

The girl and Jack stopped, and stared at each other. They weren't that surprised, they'd expected something like this, Pitch realised. Shame.

"No." The word was no more than a squeak, and came from the troublesome boy beside him. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Don't do it." The girl looked stricken. She tapped Jack Frost's hand, and he released hers. Pitch was stunned- was that it? _That _was the mighty stand of the guardians? Pathetic.

"The staff first. Or the boy. We're not fussy." He leered at her- did she honestly think it was going to be that easy?

"No. You first." She shook her head.

"I don't think so. There is absolutely no way that you'll keep your word. This way, we get the boy, or Jack get's his powers. Either way we can ice you if you refuse."

He pouted theatrically. "So what are you going to do about it? If I refuse?"

North stepped forward. "Fight. And win."

"What are you going to do? Start an earthquake? Send a sonic blast? There's nothing you can do! Either the boy dies, or you make the deal."

...

There was nothing, Adrianne thought, nothing that could be done. If they attacked, Jaime would die. If they refused the deal, Jaime would die. If she or Jack started a blizzard, they would all die. Adrianne knew that the guardians were family, so she should be the one to give herself up. And she wouldn't subject Jack to the lunatic in front of them. There was a bitter taste in her mouth. Pitch had won.

She stepped forward again.

"You've got yourself a deal."

"No!"

"Frostbite-"

"You shouldn't"

"Ree if you dare-" Jack sounded as close to tears as she was.

The guardians shouts of protest warmed her heart in a bittersweet way as she took another step forward. Pitch's eyes shone with glee. The guardians made to follow her. But Pitch threw up his spare hand in a halt motion, and stroked Jaime's chocolate brown hair. Jaime shuddered.

After he had delivered the blatantly obvious message, he pulled out some black manacles, and beckoned to Adrianne with one skeletal finger. She took the final step, and he swooped down on her, closing the shackles around her slender wrists. Adrianne's arms were twisted round behind her back as she was turned to face the guardians.

"Well done Adrianne." He whispered in her ear. The very sound had her skin crawling in repulsion.

Pitch open the door of the cage, and Jaime scampered wide eyed past Adrianne who was doing her best to keep a stony face. Jaime barged into Jack's arms, who hugged him fiercely. Next the Nightmare king tossed Jack's staff, which was caught deftly with one hand.

Jack pushed Jaime behind him and continued to stare at Pitch with as much ice as he could muster. He felt renewed with his staff in his hand, his connection to the winds restored.

"We will get her back." He vowed. Adrianne felt a tear drop at the promise he gave. Pitch scoffed. I'm going to murder you, she thought viciously.

"Maybe the others Jack. But not you." The nightmare king drew her closer to him, and smiled as the dagger which had been hidden in his sleeve left his hand and flew through the air.

Jack's eyes widened as it buried itself in his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight-Glow  
**

Jack really _really_ wasn't a fan of dying. He'd done it twice now, one in his human life, and one just then when he'd ended up with a dagger in his chest. He thought that he knew how much it was going to hurt, but almost impossibly it hurt _more_ than last time, it was absolute _agony. _He honestly didn't think it was possible for it to be more painful than when he drowned but it was. A searing fire that began in his chest and then attacked the rest of his body, a _monster_ inside of him. The pain was all he could feel.

He was dimly aware of someone catching him before he fell to the ground. The grip was firm, but fluffy. Must be Bunny he thought. Everything sounded muffled, but he could hear screaming. It was all around him, screams of anger, and then one further away. From the girl. Great, he thought idly as he heard cackling, at least he had made someone happy.

The laughter stopped as everything began to shake. Jack wasn't sure if it was just him trembling or the ground. He didn't really care. His hand landed in something warm and sticky. He had a look at his hand, which was now red. Huh, he thought, he was bleeding. Jack was slightly anxious for a moment, before remembering that he'd been stabbed and he was dying, so that was okay. Wasn't it? Nobody else seemed okay with it.

The ground disappeared beneath him. Was he flying? No being carried... yes. The ground was still shaking and so were the walls. The girl with the glowing eyes was going crazy, were they going towards her? No she was shrinking, getting further away. Was it her fault that everything was shaking? The woman with wings... Tooth was yelling. The ceiling was falling down around them, big rocks blocking the girl with the glowing eyes off from them. That's not good, Jack decided, we should help. But they kept getting further away- why weren't they helping?

Jack wanted to go back, but they kept on traveling towards the circle of light that wasn't the moon, or the sun. And then they popped through the circle, without the girl, Ree was her name. It smelt nice up there, fresh. Like freshly fallen snow. The golden man threw a ball of sand at him. Jack was just about to ask why before it hit him, and he fell into a deep sleep.

_Yay... Snowballs..._

..._  
_

"Who's going to tell him?"

"Tell him what, that he's not gonna die? I would have thought even frostbite can figure that one out when he wakes."

"No. The- the other thing."

"Oh you mean..."

"Yeah."

Jack felt terrible. His mouth was dry, and his stomach lurched from side to side. There was a violent throbbing coming from his chest and it felt like North was doing the conga in his head, and not quietly either. There was a great pressure building up in his throat that didn't relent when he opened his mouth to join in the suspicious conversation that the guardians were having above him.

"Hey." His voice was raspy, barely louder than a whisper. Immediately he felt feathered arms wrapped around him.

"Oh thank goodness! You're awake!"

"What 'appened?" He slurred.

"You don't remember mate?" The Pooka shared a troubled look with North.

"We were... Jaime was... is Jaime alright?" The youngest guardian flailed his limbs in his panic to see Jaime. North laid him down.

"Jaime is fine. What else do you remember?"

"Uh Pitch was... he had my staff but we got it back and... then he stabbed me." He finished simply.

Tooth's voice came out as a squeak.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, the wall were shaking, and the light kept getting bigger and someones eyes were glowing." Jack looked at the shamefaced guardians.

"What is it? Where's Ree?" They all gulped. Sandy showed an image of Pitch, then an image of a gravestone. The boy on the bed, though thin and tired and weak made them all leap back with his glare.

"You left her? To Pitch?"

"Now mate..." Bunny began weakly "You've gotta listen, and hear us out."

"Why should I?"

"Because Jack we didn't want it to happen, and we tried to stop it, we really did." Tears glistened in Tooth's eyes.

He nodded slowly. North began:

"Do you remember Pitch's deal?" Jack shook his head. "Pitch offered the staff and Jaime to us, in return for you or Adrianne. If not, he would kill Jaime."

"Adrianne offered herself mate. There was nothing we could do, cause if we did we would have got Jaime killed."

"She got to Pitch, that horrible man- I should have taken all his teeth-"

"Tooth!"

"Fine! Yes well, he gave you back your staff and Jaime, and then he threw his dagger at you."

"I remember that." Jack confirmed darkly. "You were all screaming, but someone was laughing."

"Pitch was. and then Adrianne, she sort of... show him Sandy."

Sandy threw up an image of Adrianne screaming dementedly, her eyes glowing like hot coals.

"The girl with the glowing eyes." Jack muttered, it finally making sense. "Then everything shook."

"Yeah mate, we don't know how she did it, but she somehow caused an earthquake. Pitch was thrown against the wall, and we had to get you out."

"So you left her." Jack concluded.

"No! Bunny and North took you, and me and Sandy went to get her. But there was a rock-slide of some kind and..."

North gently clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry Jack. We don't think she made it. Buried in the rocks."

Jack felt tired, an aching tiredness, but for some reason could not compute that Adrianne was dead. He just didn't believe it.

"She's not dead."

"Jack..." North looked at him with an apologetic smile on his face. "There's no way she could have survived."

"But I didn't _feel_ anything." Jack was rapidly losing lucidity, his pale eyelids drooping.

"Frostbite, she couldn't have-"

"Just check. Please?" In his last moment of consciousness he tipped his head and stared at them wide eyed, radiating all of the childhood innocence in the world.

"Please?" He opened his mouth, allowing Tooth to catch a glimpse of those wonderful teeth. She felt herself melting...

'_Fine. We will. But you rest now.' _The sandman wrote. Jack yawned, and was out before he hit the pillow.

"He didn't even ask about himself."

...

Pitch didn't think he'd ever been more delighted in his whole life. True he was trapped underground with no air or light but that didn't matter. Because the girl was a prodigy.

When he had heard of the girl dying in the same lake Jack Frost had drowned in, he had thought that if a spirit arose, she would be the same as him. He could twist her like he had failed to twist Jack Frost, and plunge the world into the next ice age. Imagine the fear as a mother's child freezes to death beneath her arms, as food becomes so scarce people simply collapse in the street- it would be wonderful.

When he had learnt she could control fire, he was excited beyond words. Not only could she freeze the earth, she would be more than a match for the pesky frost child, she could burn him to a crisp. What would be more fitting than the girl who he could have prevented from dying killing him? It would be irony in it's goldest form.

And when she caused an earthquake, he as ecstatic beyond belief. She could easily be a match for all the guardians. _And for me_, but he pushed that thought away.

True, it had been difficult obtaining the girl, but now he had her all he needed to do was break her. She _was _a fiery one, but he had never failed to break a spirit in the past and when he broke her... he would brand her with nightmare sand, to make her his.

The only problem was... where was she?

There were some downsides being the nightmare king- he couldn't conjure light, of any form, not even with a lighter or some other device. He was just too dark, for light to be created while he was around even, and by him it was impossible. He groped around in the darkness before his hand came into contact with something cold and metal. Finally, it was the end of a chain. He followed the chain through the dark, only to find the actual manacles had been snapped off. She'd escaped.

His arm slipped against a jagged rock, which on closer inspection was covered in blood. Her blood. She was injured, and bound. She didn't stand a chance.

The Nightmare King smiled, showcasing all his jagged teeth. She couldn't have got far.

All he had to do was catch her.

**I found out the other day that the name Adrianne has two meanings. The first is from Adria, a sea region. **

**The second is quite simply, darkness. Anyone else getting the feeling of impending doom?**

**Review!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine-Homeward  
**

North and Sandy didn't really expect Adrianne to still be around. What with all that rock that must off fallen on top of her it would a miracle if they found a recognizable body, let alone find her alive. And even if she had survived the initial quake, by finding a small pocket of air, that air would have long run out by now. But while Sandy didn't believe that she was still alive, they had all promised Jack to at least try to find her.

It was just over 36 hours since they had set off to rescue Jaime. They would have attempted looking for Adrianne sooner, but they had had a problem on their hands. Jack. By the time they reached the surface he had lost an insane amount of blood, and the dagger had still not been taken out. Sandy shuddered as he remembered how Jack's crimson blood had left a splattered trail against the snow. If he had been mortal, he would have died before they reached the pole, either from blood loss or shock, or perhaps even from the dagger nicking his heart. Luckily immortals were harder to kill, and Jack was resilient.

The Sandman had inspected the dagger. It was carved from obsidian, and was obviously made with skill. Sandy suspected that Pitch may have made it himself, after seeing the little patterns of snowflakes and broken staffs that adorned the handle. Sandy had shivered at the time. Pitch had had plenty of time to plan their demises.

Sandy had already gone with the bulky Russian to visit Jaime, to ask if he had seen Adrianne, and as suspected Jaime didn't have a clue who they were talking about. He did however ask about Jack, and they were happy to tell them that he was getting better.

"Hurry up Sandy! I found blasted hole!" The Russian called behind him, and in doing so stumbled and fell on his face. Sandy let out a burst of silent laughter.

"Not funny! Now come on. We must search for the girl."

...

It was still dark. All Adrianne was searching for was the faintest glimpse of light, but it evaded her, time and time again. She knew when she was going round in circles when the rocks became slick with blood, but she didn't dare turn back, lest she run into Pitch. It had been easy to wrench the cuffs off the chain, but that had been when he was knocked out, and when she didn't have a gash across the length of her forearm, and several other minor cuts from when she repeatedly fell. Her head was sporting some colorful bruises, because unfortunately, with her hands entrapped within metal, she could rarely coordinate them in time to break her fall. She was limping- she wasn't sure what exactly she's done to her ankle, but it hurt like hell. In fact everything hurt. But she didn't dare stop- she knew if Pitch caught her, the pain would be much worse.

Pitch. His name made her blood boil, and it took every ounce of her concentration not to yell out in fury, to suppress a scream. She knew he was evil, but she had never taken it personally before he'd plunged that dagger into Jack's chest. Bastard. Jack wasn't going to attack while he was holding her, and Pitch knew it. He was doing it to eliminate opposition, in preparation for when she would become his slave. Had he eliminated the opposition, in this case, Jack? When she'd last seen him his wound was spurting blood, and he had a vague dreamy look on his face. When the weapon had sunk into his chest, Adrianne had felt a ghost pain race across her own. They were connected in some way- she was sure of it. Would she know if he was dead?

She had pretty much signed the other guardians death warrants when she had caused that earthquake though. She had no idea what dark corners of her mind the anger had come from, but when it did it was born of loathing, of hate and of fury. It was as if the earth itself was responding to her feelings. Which was just plain weird. The idea of her coming across bodies- it was almost enough to confine her to her bloody circle. Almost.

Because if they were alive, if he was alive, then she had to help, to help protect them. And with that thought she took three more shaking steps forward, and allowed her hands to navigate the way out of the bloody circle.

She wasn't really in that much pain if she stayed still, it was the moving that did it. The lengthy movements with stiff tired limbs littered with decorative cuts and bruises. She'd worked out a 'Pitch detector' it didn't take a genius to figure out that she could only use some of her powers around Pitch, or around evil itself, or just the very atmosphere that Pitch brought about. The test was simple. Every few minutes she tried to make a fireball. If she couldn't, good. If she could... Pitch was close.

Luckily, that hadn't happened so far.

One foot forward. Other foot forward. Stumble trip, forgot to brace, up again. Adrianne tugged at the chains irritatedly. The only way to get her hands out of them was to dislocate her thumbs, and she really didn't have any experience in relocating limbs. But she was certain that it wasn't she could do quietly.

She needed to get out.

She needed to find Jack.

She needed to _live_.

...

Stroking the rock tenderly, as a mother may stroke her child's hair, or as the little waves of the shore gently, oh so gently, wash up onto the sand, the Nightmare King grinned his toothiest grin. This particular rock was covered in blood. This wasn't very different to many of the other rocks he had passed, a great number of them were embellished with crusted blood (Jack's or Adrianne's, he wasn't sure), but this rock was different, because the blood was fresh. He rubbed it in-between his fingers, inhaled deeply then popped his fingers into his mouth, licking the blood off and savoring it. Lovely.

He sniffed the air for fear, and to his dismay could find none. But he could smell the fresh, fragrant blood. He drifted forward, visualizing the expression on the girl's face when he found her, _when_ he found her- there was no 'if' about it. He was so looking forward to breaking her, to branding her, to turn her creamy pale skin into a blotchy, mottled mess of black and blue. He shouldn't have killed the boy, he should have done all of that to her in front of him. In fact he could use both of them to break each other. Why hadn't he done that? That would have been a more terrible revenge, a prolonged one. He cursed himself silently.

His hand passed over another patch of blood. He was getting closer.

...

Tooth and Bunny shot each other worried looks as Jack started to turn restlessly and mutter in his sleep. Bunny leaned over to wake him from his nightmare.

"Bunny look!"

"He's having a nightmare, I know!"

"No... it's not nightmare sand, or dream sand it's something else." Bunny thought she'd gone mad, but when he looked she was right. It wasn't golden and softly glowing like the sand Sandy was famous for creating, nor was it the black corrupted sand which only glistened with a midnight purple or blue hue. It was sand, but it was white in color, and instead of softly emitting light, it let out a harsh glare, so harsh that neither the fairy nor the Pooka could determine what he was seeing in his... well if it wasn't a dream or nightmare, then what was it? A vision?

"Ree, Ree, closer, run, blood, trail, light, help, coming, _Pitch_." He was pleading, begging- he was sending out a warning to Adrianne.

"Seems like a nightmare to me mate."

"It _can't be_. Look at the color"

"It could be a new trick, from Pitch." Tooth shook her head, there was a step missing from the logic in that.

"Why would Pitch bother? He thinks Jack is dead."Bunny grimaced, because that did make sense.

"But what else could it be?" They sat in uneasy silence as they watched the mutterings of the boy become more violent and fevered.

"No... run... light... help... mark... _break_... _torture_..._Pitch_... RUN... ESCAPE... GET OUT... GO!"

A light bulb suddenly went off in Tooth's head.

"What do you relate the color white to?"

Bunnymund blinked. Twice.

"Just answer the question." Tooth demanded breezily.

"Well... purity, birth, light... truth-"

"Exactly." Bunny stared at her blankly.

"You've lost me." He said flatly.

"White signifies truth. Gold sand is for dreams, because it is better than the truth of life. Black sand is for nightmares, because it is worse than the truth of life. But white is simply what is, nothing more, nothing less."

"Okay..." Bunny said slowly.

"So if Jack is seeing something in his sleep, it isn't a dream, and it isn't a nightmare, but it is the truth. It can't be a memory, because he would remember it either positively or negatively, making it a dream or a nightmare, so it must be a vision of the present, what is happening now."

Silence.

"You think that Frostbite is having a vision. With Adrianne it it."

"I know so." Tooth whizzed the other side of the room where Baby Tooth was.

"Baby Tooth!" She snapped to attention. "I need you to find North and Sandy in Pitch's lair. Tell them that Adrianne _is_ alive, but Pitch has almost found her. Understand?" Baby Tooth nodded her head. "Now go!" The little fairy whizzed out the window.

...

"Sandy, take a look at this..." Just then Baby Tooth crashed into Sandy, and began chirping her message.

"Alive?" North was stunned. "We must find her then." Sandy nodded and let loose around ten tendrils of dream sand which meandered outwards in all directions to find Adrianne. North looked back to the blood he had been examining. It was too fresh to be Jack's, which meant it was probably Adrianne's, as he was pretty sure the Nightmare king didn't bleed. A rustle of noise caught his attention. He stopped and waited. There it came again, the sound of weary feet clumsily making there way forward. He rounded the corner and there she was.

She cried out in relief, and hobbled her way towards him. He swept her up into his arms, and smiled softly as she fell asleep, and snuggled into his arms. She was looking worse for wear. The skin around her shackles was rubbed raw and bleeding, and her ankle appeared to be fractured. There was a particularly nasty gash on her left forearm, but other than that it was only minor cuts and bruises. She'd live.

"Sandy! I've found her. Let's go." The guardian of dreams nodded, and propelled them upward with Baby Tooth into the sleigh. The guardian of wonder laid his charge down, and cracked the whips before opening a portal. At last, they were complete.

They were finally homeward bound.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm listening to Muse Map of the Problematique right now, which is amazing. If you haven't heard it, you should check it out.  
**

**Chapter Ten-**

Tooth had already worked out that they probably shouldn't have been watching Jack and Adrianne converse in their sleep. But it was so funny, and she wasn't the only guilty party she reasoned as she glanced round at the other guardians, as they all clutched at their mouths, lest they allow a giggle to escape. Any sound would surely wake them up. The scenarios were becoming more hilarious as they went along.

"Hello and welcome to Pitch's salon. Can I interest you in any of my handmade shampoo?" Jack began, dead serious. A small snort was heard from Tooth and she mouthed sorry to the others. Luckily, the two children didn't notice.

"Sure. I was wondering if you could help me find a new hairstyle that would compliment my whole new wardrobe from Pitch's boutique over the road."

"Right. Well if you sit down here... The best look is no eyebrows."

"No eyebrows?"

"Yes. It really brings out the blackness of you soul."

"Oh." Came Adrianne's reply. Tooth almost collapsed as an image of Pitch the hairdresser, asking if you had a nice holiday, came unbidden to her mind. Bunny and North looked as if they were going to die of a similar predicament.

"Do you sell any flying elephants?" Sandy was slowly dying next to Tooth of a laughing fit, while North was going red in the face after clapping his hand over his mouth.

"Hey Ree." Jack put on a deepened voice.

"I told you never to call me that!" Adrianne answered in an equally deep voice. "It's snoop dog now." And with that she began humming the wizard of Oz theme tune.

"Were off the see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz! We here he is a whiz of a wiz, if ever a whiz there was! If ever a whiz of a wiz there was, the wizard of Oz, is one because, because because because because BECAUSE!"

Jack interrupted excitedly.

"Oooh, I know this, because of the wonderful things he does!"

"No bro, that is like, so lame."

"Lame."  
"Lamer than lame."

"Lamer than lamer than lame."  
"Lamest thing ever."

"Like ever." And with twin grins, they burst into song.

"We are never ever ever getting back together, wee-e are never ever ever getting back together." In the end, Tooth decided, it had sounded like they were on drugs.

"We were never together Frostbite." Even though Adrianne had said it, their heads both perked up at the sound.

"Yes Bunny?" They chorused in cherubim voices, utterly innocent in fact a little _too_ innocent in Tooth's opinion. Behind her Bunny looked mildly peeved, but too amused to take it seriously.

"Shall we freeze his feet to the floor?" Jack asked in a low voice. Tooth doubled over as Bunny inched towards the door slightly.

"Hmm. Oh look the boat has arrived."

"Yes! Now we can return to the fishies!" Jack giggled, delightedly. His voice then took on a manly tone.

"Barbie? Will you marry me?" Sandy silently banged his head against the door frame. Tooth peered at the golden dream. Sure enough, there was a ken doll proposing to a Barbie. Adrianne was having the same dream. Then suddenly the mood turned sour, and the dream sand darkened in color.

"Jack! I'm scared!" Adrianne had accidentally let loose the same words his sister and Jaime had. _How did she?..._

"Don't worry! You're gonna be fine. We're gonna have a little fun instead." Tooth's breath caught in her throat for a moment.

_"_Would you like a blueberry Jack?"

Both the teens were in the infirmary, recovering from their various ordeals. For the first few days they had just slept on the medication that the busy Phil had provided, but now... the medicine appeared to be having some strange effects on them, namely causing them to have the most bizarre dreams ever, and them speak them aloud. But possibly the most bizarre thing, was the link between them. They weren't just having the same dream at the same time, they were sharing it.

The medication was due to wear off any minute now, so Tooth beckoned to the other guardians, and they followed her through the door.

...

She looked so young and cute when she was sleeping, Jack decided. Her face wasn't twisted up in a negative emotion, and her body wasn't tensed in fear or anger. She was curled on her side, facing Jack, with a content smile on her face. He recognized the position, her legs brought up slightly, and her arms wrapped around herself, protecting herself. He grinned inwardly even in her sleep Adrianne was cautious.

But it hadn't been enough in the end.

Pitch had had her, and Jack had felt his world crumbling down, down down. Suddenly, it hadn't mattered that they had saved Jaime, or that he felt his staff back in his hand once more. Because she had been taken, and he hadn't known if he was going to get her back.

She had given herself up where he should have, and this beautiful, spirited, willful girl would have been in the Nightmare Kings evil clutches, and could have been turned to darkness. He could have lost her.

Losing her was no longer an option.

He already knew she was family. But was she something more?

He smiled as her pale lips blew a strand of gossamer hair out of her face. Her hair was quite long, it tumbled down her back in loose, messy waves. It seemed to glisten and shine, even in the half light. Her mouth was opened slightly and curled into a secret smile. In her sleep she looked so fragile, so thin and breakable.

She wasn't. He'd seen what she could do with a staff in her hands. She was a natural fighter, her powers were instinctual to her. She fought with valour, courage and rage. She was deadly. Like a white tiger, so beautiful and enchanting and lethal. She wasn't a bad person, not at all, but she would go to any lengths to protect those she cared about. To protect him, as he'd already discovered.

Every now again she would roll over and mutter something in an exotic language, which flowed like water against his ears. Eventually he realised that she was repeating the same phrase over and over again, crooning it lovingly into the pillow. Her voice was a whisper, but held great power as she let the words tumble from her lips. It was fascinating to watch.

Adrianne stirred, and blinked open her blue eyes. She panicked and shot up, before catching sight of Jack, safe and well in his bed. She exhaled, and sunk into her pillows.

"You're here."

"Yep. Do you honestly think I would be going anywhere with Tooth on watch?" She laughed.

"No." She admitted. "I just wanted to check. Can't hurt to be cautious."

"No, it can't." Jack agreed, and the two sat in silence for a while, snow falling gently around them.

"Well if it isn't our snow spirits!" North boomed, chuckling as he strolled into the room. Bunny followed, a pronounced grin on his face, and Tooth afterwards, giggling under her hand. Jack shot Adrianne a confused look who returned it with a shrug. She didn't know what was going on either.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, sending Tooth into a fit of giggles.

"Nothing mate... how long have you been awake?" Bunny had become their self designated carer, and Jack had to admit that he could get used to the attention he had been getting when he woke up. Sometimes though he just wanted to be alone.

"Dunno- an hour maybe? Adrianne woke just now."

"No pain? Either of you?" Adrianne shook her head, while Jack squirmed.

"Fine, fine..."  
Bunny didn't buy it for one moment.

"Lie down. I'm redressing this." If possible, Jack paled. the ointment was _really_ painful, and he hated undressing his wound, because it hurt. But most of all, he hated it because of the expressions of self loathing that crossed everyone's faces when they saw the damage that Pitch had done.

"In the bathroom." Bunny raised an eyebrow. "Please?" Jack begged. The pooka sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

The wind helped him to his feet. He glanced over the room at Adrianne who was wincing as North gently unravelled the bandaging around her wrists and washed them. The scars that would almost certainly be on her wrists were luckily the only permanent damage, all of the other scrapes and bruises were fading away. She caught his gaze and silently told him not to worry. Jack let Bunny lead him away.

In the starch whiteness of the neighbouring room, Jack was laid down and Bunnymund removed the gauze from his chest. It was a large wound, an ugly red in color, and was only a few centimeters away from where his heart was. It had been festering for a while, but it was past that stage, now beginning to scar around the edges. Bunny probed it gently prompting a gasp from Jack, who was looking pointedly at the spotless ceiling. He didn't want to watch. Bunny reached for the pot of dull brown glass that Jack had recently come to despise and began to apply it skillfully. Jack allowed him to do so without a word. He had bitten his cheek to shreds last time, so he settled for gritting his teeth and trying not to breath in too much of the clinical air.

"Done. This is healing up nicely. You'll be able to come off the ointment soon." Jack let out a cheer of delight that halfway through turned into a yawn. How could he _still_ be tired?

"Bed. Now."

"No wait... Bunny." He stopped, and turned to face Jack. Jack took a deep breath.

"I wanted to say thanks. For looking after me." He looked at the floor, embarrassed. The he was almost knocked off his feet when Bunny swept him into a huge furry hug.

"No thank _you _frostbite. Thank you for letting us be your family."

**Awww... I am so sorry for not updating recently I seem to be having a slight case of writer's block. I thought I'd give you a happy chapter today.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven- Knives**

Adrianne had been up and about for a few days now, much to the guardians chagrin. Jack because he wanted to keep her in bed, and the others because they wanted her out of the way. She didn't try to make a mess, but it followed her like a thundercloud. It really wasn't her fault that the ground beneath her feet froze and because slippery when she walked on it, and she had no control over the little flakes that danced around her as she whirled from room to room, constantly seeking something new to do. North had meant to immediately expel her from his workshop after the chaos she caused in the first hour alone, but found it immensely difficult to do so after he saw her face light up with joy, as she responded with wonder to everything around her. That is what truly melted North's heart, what guardian of wonder would he be if he denied Adrianne hers? Unfortunately for Adrianne, Bunny had been quite a different matter. He'd asked her, quite plainly, if she would like to look over Jack, and begrudgingly she said that she would, and had been carted from the room.

And so Adrianne found herself waiting by Jack's bedside, having agreed to sit with him. She laughed melodically she would allow North and Bunny to regain forces, and North in particular to strengthen his resolve. She had a block of ice in her hand, and some of North's minute tools. While she waited for Jack to wake, she chipped away at the ice, her brow furrowed in concentration. It hadn't escaped her notice when Jack had stole away to the other room to have his wound tended to. The mark was nothing to ashamed of- he was not to blame. Her on the other hand...

She huffed, and returned to her work, which was beginning to take shape. It was dangerous to let her mind wander in those directions. So instead she looked out of the window at the snow, trying to trace the mesmerizing dances she knew she would never be able to mimic. She would have to become a snowflake herself for that. She trusted her hands to continue working on the ice, to bring to life the image which had been brewing in her mind for a few days now. It had started when Sandy had shown her the black dagger of Pitch. It was a horrible item, and seemed to writhe with living shadows in her hands. But she had to admire the craftmanship that had gone into the weapon, it _was_ beautiful, in an evil way.

She liked her staff well enough, and was pretty good at fighting with it, but she wanted something that she could attack with up close. Something that would leave a mark. She already had marks on her wrists, an eerie silvery pink in color. They were fascinating, and seemed to be almost luminescent. She had debated wrapping strips of leather around them, but she had realised that she didn't want to hide. And more importantly, that she didn't want Pitch to have one up on her, to think that she was ashamed of the marks, because she wasn't. She was proud, proud to have given herself up, and proud to have defied the Nightmare King.

So she bore the marks, and maybe next time she would make some of her own on him. She looked down, and placed the delicate finished model down, froze an ice block, and started another.

...

She'd completed the third, and was just starting the fourth when Jack finally woke up. She laid her half completed work down, and smiled at him.

"Morning sunshine." He groggily turned his head towards her.

"Morning. What are you doing here?"

"I'm watching over you." She patted his shoulder, and grinned. "And North has finally cast me out of the workshop."  
He raised a silver eyebrow.

"You managed to stay in there for _three days_?" Adrianne shrugged.

"Yeah. Why?" He looked at her amazed.

"You could be a ninja. I've only ever managed one." Adrianne snorted as she remembered the huge pile of toys that she had knocked over, and the yelling yetis that had chased her for two hours solid. Still... a ninja. A shadow of the night. It sounded exciting. A slow smile crept across her face.

"Somehow I doubt it." Her eyes brightened. "Hey look at these." She handed over the first gleaming hunting knife. "Careful, it's sharp." Jack gingerly inspected the dagger. His eyes widened as he took in every detail on the hilt, the intricate markings of the snowflakes, somehow twisting in their ethereal dance even on the stillness of the ice. He picked up the second and gasped as he recognized the thin wispy lines of a gale blowing in to be those of his friend, the wind. Rarely had he ever seen lines portray the rushing wind so clearly that the wind easily could have taken off the ice and raced around the room. The third knife again had marks of the wind, blowing around snow. Amongst the billowing snow there were runes, and markings of the phases of the moon.

He handed the last one back, awed.

"They're amazing." Adrianne fixed him with a look.

"I want to be able to protect myself. And you." He nodded. She knew that he understood. "Perhaps I shall make some ninja weaponry after all." She mused, entertaining the thought briefly.

"Could you teach me?" Adrianne struggled for an answer.

"I don't think it's something that can be taught. Besides, you're 300 years old, I'm sure you are pretty good already." Then without speaking, she cupped her hands together, staring intently at the third hunting knife. A blue glow encased them, flaring brightly before fading away. Outside a snowstorm sprung up, and the wind rattled the window panes. When she opened her hands, there was a fourth knife, a replica of the third, with the runes and wind. She handed the knife to Jack, who shook his head and tried to return it. The storm outside dropped to a gentle lulling snowfall.

"Take it. It is the only knife that will ever have a twin. All the others will be unique."

Reluctantly, Jack nodded, and placed it on his bedside table. Adrianne felt a rush of excitement overcome her. He now had something of hers. The moment lingered, warming her chest.

"Thank you." He said sincerely, beaming at her, all he needed was a sheath of some kind, just like Adrianne. Maybe should could find some leather, and interesting stones to make some. She herself was stunned by what she could do with ice- what could she do with leather?

"Thank you Ree." He repeated. Adrianne smiled tentatively there was something about that name that she wanted to talk to him about.

"About the name Ree..." Jack paled, immediately jumping to the wrong conclusion.

"You don't like it? I'm sorry, I'll change it." Jack was babbling, fear evident on his face. Adrianne rushed to soothe him.

"No no! I love the name. But nobody else is allowed to call me Ree. Just you." Jack nodded, calm.

"But the thing I wanted to say was that I don't ever want you calling me that in front of Pitch. I never want him to call me that." Jack nodded once more, and Adrianne could see he understood.

"Now tell me. What mischief have you caused for the yetis in my absence?"

...

When the other guardians walked in Jack was laughing his head off, tears streaking down his face, while Adrianne was all but rolling around on the floor in silent hysterics. The two froze silent as soon as they saw the thoroughly confused adults, before bursting into laughter again. It took several minutes to regain a vaguely normal sense of sanity, during which the guardians simply stood there, patiently waiting. Every time they glanced towards Bunny they would start from the beginning, so it took a very long time for either of them to regain their composure. When they did, Adrianne sat most primly in the chair and Jack was lounging in his bed, both acting as if nothing had happened.

"Jack, Adrianne!" Tooth called out, fluttering to the bed. North followed. Bunny however was distracted by the daggers, glinting softly in the fading sunlight. He picked one up, and thumbed the design. North picked up another.

"Huh. Never would have thought you an artist frostbite." He said finally, looking a Jack. His voice held surprise, but respect as well. North nodded, whilst Tooth eyes the weapon with an uneasy expression.

"Yes Jack. These knives are very good, excellent design. Adrianne beamed from the compliments, even if they weren't directed at her.

"Actually, Ree made them." With comical speed, the spotlight was turned to Adrianne. She shrugged, trying to make out that it was no big deal, when in truth she was chuffed beyond belief.

"I wanted some weapons." Bunny picked up the twin blade that belonged to Jack.

"So did frostbite teach you?" She shook her head.

"No. I made that one for him. It will be the only twin blade." If Bunny noticed the way the pair glanced towards each other, he didn't comment. Nor did he comment on the meanings of the runes swirling in the gale if he understood them. North silently left the room, beckoned away by a jittery looking Sandy. Adrianne watched them worriedly as North threw her a tight smile and the pair waked off.

"Do you know how I could make some sheaths Bunny?"

"Yeah sure, you'll need some leather-"

"Everybody." North interrupted, his tone so serious that everybody stopped, and focused solely on him. He gravely stared at Jack, and Adrianne's skin prickled in warning, and she shifted uncomfortably. The snowstorm outside grew in violence, and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. Jack squeezed Adrianne's hand reassuringly, though she could see that he was also scared by the sudden change of atmosphere.

"We have a problem."


	12. Chapter 12

**I am so sorry with not posting earlier... I just caught up a little in life.**

**I know that some people think Adrianne is overpowered, and that's true, she is. BUT there will be a catch, and she is over powered for a reason. All will be revealed... eventually.  
**

**Chapter Twelve- Shadow  
**

North didn't think the situation could get any worse. Here they all were, alive and whole, even after all they had been through, and it was down to him to break the news. But of all people... shouldn't Jack have a chance of normality, of happiness? And here he was, life on the line once again.

Misfortune followed him round like a angry inky black thundercloud.

It had been a few days since Jack had been injured. The wound should have been fatal , but impossibly, against all the odds, he had survived. Somehow North didn't think that was luck anymore.

North was a very busy man. He had a workshop to run, elves to keep a hold on, yetis to direct, and on the rare days when Jack did turn up, making sure he didn't trash the workshop as well. There weren't very many times of the day when he could just collapse on a plush chair and enjoy the silence. But today... something was wrong. He felt it in his belly. He would make time.

He felt caught in the gazes of the others, all watching him with expectancy and a different kind of fear. Jack looked weary and resolved, as if he knew something was gravely wrong. Which, North thought, he probably did. Tooth's ever present smile faltered and became uncertain, whilst Bunny and Adrianne stared at him with an intensity which made his skin prickle. Sandy looked on solemnly. He had their undivided attention.

"The dagger that Pitch stabbed Jack with was no ordinary blade." Tooth, Bunny and Sandy shared a horror filled glance between them. Adrianne's expression did not change, and Jack looked 300 years old for once. North gulped and continued.

"The dagger was formed by Pitch's own hand in the dark ages."

"Yeah mate, but he made loads of weaponry in the dark ages..." Bunny began weakly.

"Not like this. This is a shadow weapon. I know it." Tooth's plumage rustled in distress.

"But we destroyed all of those! Every last one! There can't be-"

"It is shadow weapon. I am sure of it" Jack raised his hand, having gone unnoticed in his bed

"Is anyone gonna tell me what a shadow weapon _is_? Seeing as I'm the one affected by it and all?" North exchanged a guilty look with the others. A huge weight pressed down on his shoulders.

"They are formed completely of darkness." North began reluctantly, unwilling to plague Jack with such knowledge. He did not want him to worry, though it was inevitable.

"So what does that mean for me?" Jack spoke cautiously, as if he didn't want to hear the answers. His hand subconsciously inched across to Adrianne's.

"Shadow weaponry leave longer lasting effects from a wound. It will take longer for you to heal. But if the weapon is left in too long, then some of the darkness can be left inside. If it has... we need to remove it." Tooth was silently tearing up in the corner. The temperature of the room began to drop, and drop, and drop...

"And how do you do that?" Adrianne asked. North stared at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"We have to reopen the wound." He began quietly "And draw out the darkness."

"How?" Jack asked, resigned.

"By injecting you with light." North answered simply.

"He means someone has to channel power into you mate."  
Jack nodded to show he understood.

"Sounds simple enough." _And painful_ everyone in the room added silently.

"It's not." These were the first words Tooth had spoken in a while, and they were laden with sobs. "Not once before has everyone survived. Someone always dies." The wind began to whistle outside, screeching against the window panes.

"What do you mean?" Adrianne's calm voice was barely masking the panic underneath. She was trying to be strong for Jack, North realised.

"Not one person has enough energy to give, and still live themselves." The Russian said softly. "Either the person infected dies, or someone else is sacrificed to save them."

Jack sat up straighter and nodded.

"Then it's settled. If there is darkness inside of me, then I'll die. I won't let anyone die for me." Every cell in North's body rejected that. Jack was still a boy, it should be someone who had lived longer, who had lived a full life. He was just about to open his mouth to speak when Bunny, Adrianne and Tooth spoke in unison.

"I'll do it." Jack shook his head violently.

"No! I don't want-" His words were cut off by the large Russian.

"Adrianne you cannot, you are too young, as for you Tooth- who will collect teeth?" Tooth looked distraught at the revelation. "And Bunny, who will deliver the eggs?" Bunny glared at him defiantly, but North did not back down.

"I don't want-"

"North, you deliver presents, you can't leave the children! I don't do anything, nobody will miss me, nothing will happen-"

"I'LL MISS YOU!" Jack roared. Adrianne recoiled, flinching, her eyes filled with fear and guilt of making him feel unimportant. "I'LL MISS ALL OF YOU!" He panted, clutching the bed frame for support. Adrianne swooped forward before stopping suddenly. He didn't want her right now, he needed space.

"I _can't _let you die, I _can't_, I won't I can't." His voice faded to a broken whisper. Adrianne let out a muffled sniffle. He calmed himself and faced them.

"Look we don't even know if there is any darkness, it could be nothing-"

"But it isn't." Adrianne ventured timidly, but went no-one contradicted her, not even Jack, she went on gaining more confidence. "You know that something is wrong, which is why you're so scared." Jack remained silent.

"We must do it as quickly as possible. Tonight perhaps."

"Tonight?" Jack's voice climbed an octave. "Can't we wait a bit?"

"No mate. We've got to do it as soon as possible."

"I can't let you die. I won't."

"And we can't watch you die either." Tooth said firmly, if a little scratchy.

"Checkmate." Jack muttered, looking extremely dejected. Adrianne wrapped an arm around him. he didn't shrug it off.

"Couldn't we all give a little power?" Adrianne suggested. Jack's head inched up, daring to hope. Sickness writhed in North's stomach.

"No. Would make it unstable." Jack slumped forward again.

"You need rest Jack." Tooth insisted, and fluttered out of the room, beckoning for the others to follow her. They filed out silently. Adrianne planted a soft kiss on his forehead, and reluctantly left the room.

...

Jack was terrified. He was terrified of dying, he was terrified of not dying and someone else dying for him, he was terrified of being weak enough to let them, of hating himself for the rest of his life, or being hated, or both. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and pretend that he was dozing in a snowdrift somewhere, that he hadn't been stabbed by Pitch Black, but most of all that he had never met Adrianne. Because now she was going to die for him. It did make sense. She didn't have a job, a specific purpose that the children of the world would miss. She had been right when she had said that nobody would miss her, no mortals anyway. So for the guardians, it made most sense to sacrifice her, instead of North, or Bunny, or Sandy, or Tooth, whose presences would be missed dearly in the mortal world. And she would do it. Without a doubt.

But to Jack... he could no sooner let Ree go than he could North, or Sandy. If anything, she was _more_ important to him. She had never abandoned him. She hadn't left him alone for 300 years. That wasn't to say that he didn't love the others as family, but old scars would take time to heal. He may never be able to completely forgive and forget his 300 years of solitude.

Jack wasn't one to think. He was more a do-it-on-the-spur-of-the-moment person, he liked to dive straight in (which explained a lot of his less brilliant plans) and hated sitting around. Lying in the infirmary, all day, is near torture for a winter spirit who rides the winds. But if anything, it gave him time to think. Lot and lot of time.

He thought about Pippa, and how he always made her laugh. He thought about the elves, and a dozen new pranks to play on then as soon as he was allowed out of the wretched bed. He thought about Jaime, and Sophie, and then he thought about Ree. How she laughed, and how it made Jack feel warm inside. How she smiled and Jack smiled with her. How whenever she recounted her day there was a mischievous glint in her eyes, which made Jack wish, more than everything, that he could have been with her.

And how she had taken his breath away when she had kissed him, if only for a second.

Was he in _love_ with Adrianne? No. Love was too soon, they hadn't known each other for but a few days, but attraction? Most definitely.

But now he thought about the guardians. He knew that they would be planning somewhere, who would give their life. He also supposed that they would be devising a plan so that he was so doped on drugs that he wouldn't be able to object, to stop them. That made his blood run cold, to think he could go to sleep and find one of them... gone.

He wouldn't allow it.

Leaving was the best way to protect them all. Making his final decision, he rose stiffly out of bed. He had already checked his staff was in the room, they really shouldn't have left it there, and retrieved it. He soundless opened the window, scooped up his knife from Adrianne, and slipped into the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen- Old Jack**

It was Old Jack's favorite kind of day. Mucking about, asking the wind to hide him from everybody else (which, by the way, the wind was not pleased about), taking part in epic snowball fights, with and without his powers (just to see if he could), kicking up snowdrifts and generally causing havoc whilst playing a huge game of cat and mouse with other spirits, who for some reason were all trying to round him up. To Old Jack, nothing was more fun than causing chaos.

New Jack was not the same as Old Jack.

Mucking about wasn't any fun anymore, now that he had no-one to keep him company, company he had grown used to over the past few months. The wind as mentioned before was too nervous and jittery to play with. Playing snowballs had lost its appeal without Jaime, and kicking up snowdrifts and generally causing havoc was no fun when it was accompanied by a pounding headache. The cat and mouse game he play wasn't really a game at all, as the spirits had been recruited by the guardians to bring him back to the pole.

Because Jack Frost had been shadowed.

It was Pitch who had done it (is it ever anyone else?). Jack hadn't meant for it to happen- no-one had, except for the dastardly villain mentioned above. Jaime had been captured, and during the rescue, Jack had been injured by a shadow weapon.

The thought of Jaime brought guilt to the front of Jack's mind. He hadn't been to see his best friend since he had been stabbed in the chest- which was understandable- but no one else had either, so Jaime didn't even know if he was still alive. But right now Jack couldn't visit Jaime, or his lake, as the guardians would undoubtedly be waiting there, for him.

"Hey wind?" The wind whistled in response, again voicing it's protests against Jack's plan of action.

"Take me to Antarctica." The wind huffed but lifted him anyway. Antarctica wasn't the best place to be, as it was a well known fact he liked hanging out there, but it was big, and cold, and Jack thought it was unlikely anyone would venture very far in, and if by some strike of fortune they _did_ find him, it would be easy to evade them on his own terrain. Jack thought about how tired he was, and how all he really wanted to do was burrow into a snowy hole and sleep. Maybe he would. Nobody would find him there.

Antarctica was still and white and clear. Jack whisked up a quick snowstorm, then snuggled into the first snowdrift he found and drifted off on a raft of dreams. He dreamed of his old old life, the life even before waking up in the lake, the life with Pippa. He dreamed of skating on the lake and what could have happened had the ice not cracked. The human Jack whirled and leaped around, then taught Pippa her first shaky twirl. They slid around for hours under the snow until the sky grew dark. Then they went home and sung carols by the fire while eating their soup.

Too late to go back now.

He felt the darkness in his dreams, sending him into the torrent of nightmares. Each nightmare was more ghastly than the last, as he slowly watched every one he cared about being torn apart. But eventually it passed, and he was lulled back into dreams and almost forgot the previous nightmares. Almost.

While he was curled into a ball, sleeping, the wind decided to take action. He would take action by leading the guardians to him, helping him by helping them. The wind, being a very intelligent and powerful being, devised a plan. Slowly, as not to wake it's exhausted friend, it removed a scrap of fabric from Jack's hoodie. After painstakingly ripping it away, it flung the piece out in the general direction of the opposite pole and chased after it, propelling it forward.

...

Many a minutes later the very same piece of fabric was snatched out of the air by Bunny's furry paw.

"Everyone, look at this. It's a scrap from Frostbite's hoodie."

North lumbered over and peered closely at the scrap. Tooth and Adrianne rose and Sandy hovered in the doorway.

"You are right of course. But how did it get here?"

"Maybe the wind brought it here?" Tooth suggested, exhausted and having run out of leads hours ago.

"Yeah, but the wind is Frostbite's best pal. I don't think it would betray him." Bunny intoned.

"It would," the Russian began slowly, "If Jack really was in a bad way." Everyone glanced uneasily at each other.

Adrianne rose and spoke, her voice hoarse.

"Then we've got to find him. Well wind, can you show us where he's gone?" The wind ruffled the fur on Bunny's paw, wrenching the fabric out of his grip.

"Hey! Give that back!" He grabbed for it, but the cloth fluttered just out of his reach.

"Wait! We should follow it, I think the wind means to lead us to Jack." North looked at her, excitement dawning in his face.

"Yes! Quick, everyone on the sleigh!"

Re-energized, the guardians scrambled into the sleigh. Adrianna glided into the air, and made to get in the sleigh before North's huge hand blocked her way. irritated she looked up at him, fully prepared to make her own way. She felt wounded- had she not earned their respect?

"Adrianna-"

"Cut it. I'm going whether you like it or not" Adrianna snarled, raising her fist menacingly. North looked on bemused.

"I was going to ask you to scout ahead. That fabric is going a little too quickly for us." He said factually.

"Oh." She replied sheepishly. "I'll do that. And signal back to you." And with that she flew off.

"You make it sound like a battle plan." Tooth noted.

"It is."

...

But while Adrianna was the lightest and quickest, it was Bunnymund's sharp eyes which actually spotted Jack first as he emerged from a heap of snow, yawning and stretching as if he had just had the most restful sleep in the world, when in reality he was aching more than he was earlier, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. His sleep had been plagued with nightmares, and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball.

It had been easy to refuse his friends earlier and fly off, but now... he was in pain, which was only sure to get worse, and he had no idea how long he had left, and how long he would be in pain, or even what happened if he reached the end- would he die? Or become a nightmare, or maybe just fade to a shadow?

He had no idea, and it made him scared.

He had to make a choice soon, because he could hear the sleigh bells ringing, and soon he would no longer be able to flee, even if he wanted to. It was unlikely they could catch him in the wind, not even Adrianna, because he was pretty sure he was stronger, and the sleigh was too clunky to follow him. But he could not fly forever, and he feared that were he to fall asleep, the wind would deliver him straight to the North pole.

He couldn't flee, but he couldn't stay. What was he to do? Jack raked his hands through his snowy hair, frustrated, and began to stalk to and fro. The sleigh bumped down behind him. He still had time. He watched the sleigh slide madly, fully prepared to throw up a snow barrier if necessary. But the sleigh finally skidded to a stop. His friends got out looking anxious. Jack stared back warily, fingering his knife in his free hand. Adrianna was not there.

"Jack! Let us help you!" Jack made no movement or sound, but merely continued to observe them.

"Jack! Come back, we can sort this out." Still nothing.

"Jack! Jack please!" Tooth sounded near hysterical. Jack inched backwards, speeding up all the while.

"Jack. We want to help." After the frost boy carried on moving backwards, North looked meaningfully at a point over Jack's left shoulder. Just as he was turning round to see what it was something hard collide with the side of his head and he sunk down dizzily, catching a glimpse of blue eyes as he fell.

Then nothing.


End file.
